‘Uncharted territory’: The $40 trillion U.S. national debt just got uglier as interest payments rise to $1.25 trillion a year
Last time the net interest payments were this high was 35 years ago. Analysts warn the U.S. is worse off now than it was then.
The U.S. national debt has soared to an unprecedented $40 trillion, with interest payments soaring to a staggering $1.25 trillion annually. According to a recent analysis from Doubleline, in 2025, the federal net interest payment on the U.S.'s national debt reached 18.5% of revenue, surpassing the previous record set in 1991. This means the U.S. is collecting nearly 19% of all taxes and revenue solely to pay interest on its ballooning debt, an amount equivalent to more than the entire 2026 defense budget.
As interest payments continue to rise, the government finds itself in a precarious position, forced to borrow more just to cover the interest, leaving less flexibility to invest in crucial areas like infrastructure and education. Experts warn that the risks associated with servicing this debt are significantly higher today than they were three decades ago, as the government's sensitivity to interest rates has only increased with the debt's growth.
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