U.S. Debt Interest Payments Set to Drive Future Deficits as Public Debt Surpasses GDP
The U.S. public debt has surpassed nominal GDP for the first time, reaching $31.27 trillion against a GDP of $31.22 trillion in Q1 2026. Rising interest payments on this growing debt are expected to become the primary driver of future federal deficits, with costs projected to reach $2.1 trillion by 2036.
Topics: deficit spending fiscal policy interest payments U.S. debt