Average Credit Card Debt in the U.S.
4 Min Read | Last updated: July 10, 2026
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Credit card balances are climbing. Learn how average U.S. credit card debt compares across generations and what’s fueling the increase.
At-A-Glance
- Average U.S. credit card debt ranges from $5,300 to $6,700 per person, depending on which stats you quote.
- Gen X has the highest average credit card debt, while Gen Z and the Silent Generation have the lowest averages.
- Americans paid an estimated $160 billion in credit card interest in 2025 — the highest in ten years.
What is the average credit card debt in the U.S.? It’s a moving target—it depends on who you talk to and when you ask. Here are some recent numbers for the average U.S. credit card debt per person:
- $6,523 for the third quarter of 2025, according to a TransUnion report.1
- $6,735 as of June 2025, according to Experian.2
Interpreting Average U.S. Credit Card Debt
What’s simple and clear about average U.S. credit card debt from these numbers is that between 2024 and 2025, the approximate range was $5,300 to $6,700 per person. It’s also worth noting that not everyone included in those averages is paying interest on that debt. That’s because the data is a snapshot in time that includes the people who pay their credit card bills in full by the due date each month, and who therefore don’t pay interest charges.
Average Credit Card Debt by Age
Across all age groups in the U.S., Gen X carries the largest average credit card debt at $9,600, according to Experian.3 That’s considerably higher than the averages for two other generations (Generation Z and the Silent Generation), which are both around $3,400. Generationally speaking, Experian found another notably high average credit card debt number for millennials (born between Gen X and Gen Z): $6,961.4 Baby boomers, in comparison, held slightly less debt than millennials with $6,795 in average credit card debt.
Aggregate U.S. Credit Card Debt on the Rise
Beyond these averages, it’s apparent that total credit card use is on the rise. The Federal Reserve Bank of New York reported that aggregate credit card debt in the U.S. totaled $1.28 trillion for the fourth quarter of 2025. That’s up $44 billion from the previous quarter.5 Separately, the Federal Reserve reported that as of January 2026, revolving credit, which is mostly credit card debt, rose 4.3% year over year and stood at over $1.3 trillion.6
Looking at households, the fourth quarter of 2025 saw total household debt (including credit cards, home mortgages, home equity loans, student loans, auto loans, and other types of debt) rise by $191 billion to $18.8 trillion total.7
U.S. Credit Card Debt Average Interest
Again, it’s important to note that not all of that credit card debt is interest-bearing. The Federal Reserve Bank of New York found that 60% of Americans carry at least some credit card balance from month to month, and therefore incur interest-bearing debt.8 The average interest rate for credit card accounts that are assessed interest was nearly 22.30% in the fourth quarter of 2025, according to the Fed.9
The CFPB estimates that Americans paid a total of about $160 billion in interest on credit card debt by the end of 2025,10 making it the highest level observed by the CFPB since 2015.
Frequently Asked Questions
The average credit card debt for Americans varies depending on where you get your data. Transunion reports that the average credit card debt in the third quarter of 2025 was $6,523.11 Meanwhile, a June 2025 report from Experian found the average credit card debt was slightly higher at $6,735.12 Finally, data from the CFPB shows that the average monthly balance per cardholder is $5,300.13
The amount of credit card debt that feels like “a lot” is different for everyone. It’s relative to your income, expenses, and your attitude toward debt. So $10,000 might be overwhelming for someone making $45,000 annually with a high income-to-expense ratio. Alternatively, it may not seem consequential to a $250,000-a-year earner with minimal other debts.
The Takeaway
Average credit card debt in the U.S. on a per-person basis is in the neighborhood of $5,300 to over $6,700. Aggregate household debt and revolving charge debt (mostly credit cards) rose in 2025.
10,13 “2025 Consumer Credit Card Market Report,” Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
1,11 “TransUnion Report Reveals Diverging Credit Risk Trends Among U.S. Consumers,” TransUnion
2,12 “Average American Debt by Age, US State, Credit Score and Type in 2025,” Experian
3,4 “Average Credit Card Debt by Age in 2025,” Experian
5,7,8 “Household Debt and Credit Report 2025:Q4,” Federal Reserve Bank of New York
6,9 “Federal Reserve Board - Consumer Credit - G.19,” The Federal Reserve System
Scot Finnie is a journalist who covers primarily business and technology. He was Editor-in-Chief of Computerworld for more than a decade.
All Credit Intel content is written by freelance authors and commissioned and paid for by American Express.
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