Debt limit history · Daily Treasury Statement, Table IIIC
How close has US debt come to the ceiling each year?
As of , across every statement since , room under the debt limit was lowest on , at $23.00 million.
The debt limit and the debt subject to it at the end of each year, and the least room left in each year, 2005 to 2026
- Debt subject to the limit, at the year's end
- The limit, at the year's end
- The least room left in the year
- A year with no figure for the least room left
Statement days near the debt limit, each calendar year
Statement days with the debt limit suspended, each calendar year
Each column is one calendar year; the running year is drawn open. Pointing at a column shows its year and count.
Select a line to followLatest:
Inspect and compare dates
The newest year beside the one before it and the nearest ones five and ten years earlier. Every year is in the tables under "The numbers behind the chart".
| Measure | Latest | The year before | Five years earlier | Ten years earlier |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | 2026 | 2025 | 2021 | 2016 |
| Statement days | 206 | 250 | 252 | 251 |
| Days near the limit | 0 | 115 | 88 | 0 |
| Days suspended | 0 | 0 | 146 | 251 |
| Lowest room left, $ million | 772,755 | 24 | 24 | n/a |
The table scrolls sideways; the first column stays in place.
Observed .
Across the years
Debt stood within $1 billion of the limit on 162 statement days in 2015, the most of any year since 2005.
The limit was suspended on every statement day of 2016, 2020 and 2024.
In 2026Through 26 Oct 2026
Room left was lowest on , at $772.75 billion, with 0 statement days near the limit.
Understanding near the limit
Where it stands today
Room left was under $1 billion on 0 statement days of 2026, through .
What counts as near the limit?
A statement day counts as near the limit when room left is under $1 billion: under extraordinary measures Treasury keeps a small room, never exactly zero.
The numbers behind the chart
How many statement days were near the limit, or under a suspended limit, each year?Each year links its page
| Year | Statement days | Days near the limit | Days suspended |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 206 | 0 | 0 |
| 2025 | 250 | 115 | 0 |
| 2024 | 251 | 0 | 251 |
| 2023 | 250 | 95 | 144 |
| 2022 | 250 | 0 | 0 |
| 2021 | 252 | 88 | 146 |
| 2020 | 253 | 0 | 253 |
| 2019 | 251 | 107 | 144 |
| 2018 | 251 | 27 | 224 |
| 2017 | 251 | 136 | 114 |
| 2016 | 251 | 0 | 251 |
| 2015 | 252 | 162 | 90 |
| 2014 | 251 | 5 | 246 |
| 2013 | 251 | 123 | 125 |
| 2012 | 251 | 18 | 0 |
| 2011 | 251 | 54 | 0 |
| 2010 | 252 | 0 | 0 |
| 2009 | 252 | 0 | 0 |
| 2008 | 252 | 0 | 0 |
| 2007 | 251 | 0 | 0 |
| 2006 | 251 | 21 | 0 |
| 2005 | 61 | 0 | 0 |
How close did debt come to the limit in each year?$ million; a dash means the limit was suspended all year, or not in force at the year's end
| Year | Lowest room left | Day of the lowest room | Limit at year end | Subject to the limit at year end |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 772,755 | 41,103,996 | 40,331,241 | |
| 2025 | 24 | 41,103,996 | 38,340,718 | |
| 2024 | n/a | n/a | n/a | 36,103,970 |
| 2023 | 24 | n/a | 33,890,366 | |
| 2022 | 34,153 | 31,381,463 | 31,347,310 | |
| 2021 | 24 | 31,381,463 | 29,590,001 | |
| 2020 | n/a | n/a | n/a | 27,721,341 |
| 2019 | 24 | n/a | 23,155,700 | |
| 2018 | 25 | n/a | 21,933,738 | |
| 2017 | 23 | 20,456,000 | 20,455,974 | |
| 2016 | n/a | n/a | n/a | 19,939,042 |
| 2015 | 24 | n/a | 18,881,745 | |
| 2014 | 24 | n/a | 18,101,296 | |
| 2013 | 24 | n/a | 17,303,558 | |
| 2012 | 24 | 16,394,000 | 16,393,975 | |
| 2011 | 23 | 15,194,000 | 15,180,337 | |
| 2010 | 89,554 | 14,294,000 | 13,972,512 | |
| 2009 | 24,495 | 12,394,000 | 12,254,531 | |
| 2008 | 338,762 | 11,315,000 | 10,640,273 | |
| 2007 | 34,823 | 9,815,000 | 9,144,716 | |
| 2006 | 24 | 8,965,000 | 8,592,514 | |
| 2005 | 76,970 | 8,184,000 | 8,107,030 |
The table scrolls sideways; the first column stays in place.
What counts as near the limit, and when are the figures from?The rule and the dates
A statement day counts as near the limit when room left is under 1,000 million dollars: under extraordinary measures Treasury keeps a small room, never exactly zero. A dash means the limit was suspended all year, or not in force at the year's end.
Observed .
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