Debt-to-GDP under every president, month by month
At month 18 in office, Trump II is at 121.2%: #10 of 10 administrations (average 70.3%). Official U.S. Treasury and OMB (via St. Louis Fed) data.
Every administration at month 18
| Rank | Administration | Value at month 18 | Change since month 1 | Latest / end of month 48 | Primary federal source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Jimmy Carter | 32.1% | −1.5 pts | 31.2% (month 48) | U.S. Treasury and OMB · GFDEGDQ188S |
| #2 | Ronald Reagan | 32.4% | +1.5 pts | 40.1% (month 48) | U.S. Treasury and OMB · GFDEGDQ188S |
| #3 | Richard Nixon | 34.7% | −1.5 pts | 33.8% (month 48) | U.S. Treasury and OMB · GFDEGDQ188S |
| #4 | George H. W. Bush | 52.8% | +3.0 pts | 62.5% (month 48) | U.S. Treasury and OMB · GFDEGDQ188S |
| #5 | George W. Bush | 56.3% | +1.1 pts | 60.6% (month 48) | U.S. Treasury and OMB · GFDEGDQ188S |
| #6 | Bill Clinton | 64.1% | +1.2 pts | 64.5% (month 48) | U.S. Treasury and OMB · GFDEGDQ188S |
| #7 | Barack Obama | 88.1% | +11.0 pts | 100.1% (month 48) | U.S. Treasury and OMB · GFDEGDQ188S |
| #8 | Donald Trump (first term) | 103.0% | +0.0 pts | 125.6% (month 48) | U.S. Treasury and OMB · GFDEGDQ188S |
| #9 | Joe Biden | 118.2% | −5.7 pts | 121.0% (month 48) | U.S. Treasury and OMB · GFDEGDQ188S |
| #10 | Donald Trump (second term) · in office | 121.2% | +1.2 pts | 121.2% (month 18) | U.S. Treasury and OMB · GFDEGDQ188S |
Methodology and source verification
Total public debt as a percent of GDP, quarterly (Treasury and OMB data compiled by the St. Louis Fed). Lower ranks better.
Every administration is aligned to its own inauguration: month 1 is the month it took office, and the comparison runs to month 48 (the first term). Each administration is compared at the same month in office, so a president halfway through a term is never measured against another's full four years.
Primary source: U.S. Treasury and OMB (via St. Louis Fed). Retrieved from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (FRED), series GFDEGDQ188S, refreshed hourly. Latest observation 2026-04-01, first published 2026-10-16. Full methods: methodology.