Complete credit card debt data for the US. Total outstanding debt, average payments, minimum payment traps, and industry trends.
| Metric | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Total US Credit Card Debt | $1.26 trillion | All outstanding balances |
| Number of Credit Cards | 590.5 million | Active accounts |
| Number of Cardholders | 208 million | Adults with at least 1 card |
| Average Balance per Cardholder | $6,659 | Among those with a balance |
| Median Balance | $3,200 | Median is lower than average |
| Cards per Person | 2.9 | Average number of cards |
| Average Credit Limit | $23,500 | Per cardholder |
| Average Utilization Rate | 28.3% | Balance vs limit |
| Monthly Payment Average | $225 | Across all cardholders |
| Minimum Payment Average | $110 | Per card with balance |
| Accounts in Delinquency | 2.85% | 30+ days past due |
| Accounts in Serious Delinquency | 2.26% | 90+ days past due |
| Scenario | Minimum Payment | Time to Pay Off | Total Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| $3,000 balance at 20% | $60/mo fixed payment | 9 years to pay off | $6,504 total paid |
| $5,000 balance at 20% | $100/mo fixed payment | 9 years to pay off | $10,840 total paid |
| $10,000 balance at 20% | $200/mo fixed payment | 9 years to pay off | $21,680 total paid |
| $15,000 balance at 20% | $300/mo fixed payment | 9 years to pay off | $32,520 total paid |
| $20,000 balance at 20% | $400/mo fixed payment | 9 years to pay off | $43,360 total paid |
| Year | Total Debt | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | $927 billion | Pre-pandemic baseline |
| 2020 | $820 billion | Pandemic paydowns |
| 2021 | $856 billion | Recovery begins |
| 2022 | $986 billion | Inflation-driven spending |
| 2023 | $1.13 trillion | Crossed $1 trillion |
| 2024 | $1.21 trillion | Continued growth |
| 2025 | $1.28 trillion | Slowing growth |
| 2026 | $1.26 trillion (Q2) | Near record high |
Total US credit card debt is $1.26 trillion as of Q2 2026, just below the record of about $1.28 trillion at the end of 2025. This is spread across 590.5 million active credit cards held by 208 million Americans.
A $10,000 balance at 20% APR paying a fixed $200 a month takes about 9 years to pay off and costs about $21,680 total, more than double the original balance. Always pay more than the minimum.
The average monthly credit card payment is $225 across all cardholders. The average minimum payment is about $110 per card with a balance.