What The National Debt Of The US Was At The Beginning And End Of Every Presidency

Years As President: 1789-1797 National Debt At The Beginning: $71,060,508.50 National Debt At The End: $82,064,479.33 Difference: $11,003,970.83 Context: When George Washington became the first President of the United States, he inherited debt from the American Revolutionary War. While political parties were still taking shape, Washington had pro-administration support from the majority of representatives until 1793. The same was true in the US Senate until 1795. The formalization of the Federalists (pro-centralized government) and the Democratic Republicans (anti-centralized government) changed the name of alliances as the alliances themselves shifted. The House of Representatives was anti-administration and Democratic-Republican between 1795 and 1797, while the Senate was remained pro-administration and Federalist through Washington's second term. Washington himself never adopted a party affiliation.

Years As President: 1797-1801 National Debt At The Beginning: $82,064,479.33 National Debt At The End: $83,038,050.80 Difference: $973,571.47 Context: During John Adams's presidency, the national debut fluctuated but never dipped below $78,500,000. Adams was a Federalist and his party had the majority in the US Senate throughout his administration. The US House of Representatives was similarly majority Federalist.

Years As President: 1801-1809 National Debt At The Beginning: $83,038,050.80 National Debt At The End: $57,023,192.09 Difference: - $26 014 858.7 Context: A staunch Anti-Federalist or Democratic-Republican, Thomas Jefferson's two-term presidency saw a large decline in the national debt. The Jefferson administration existed alongside both a US Senate and House of Representatives that were majority Democratic-Republican.

Years As President: 1809-1817 National Debt At The Beginning: $57,023,192.09 National Debt At The End: $123,491,965.16 Difference: $66,468,773.07 Context: James Madison, another Democratic-Republican, had support from his party in the House where it held the majority throughout his presidency. The US Senate was also controlled by Democratic-Republicans. The national debt nearly doubled during the Madison administration as a result of funding the War of 1812.

Years As President: 1817-1825 National Debt At The Beginning: $123,491,965.16 National Debt At The End: $83,788,432.71 Difference: - $39,703,532.45 Context: When James Monroe took over the presidency in 1817, he inherited the debt from the War of 1812. With the his own Democratic-Republican Party in control of both the House and the Senate through 1823, Monroe's administration saw a large decline in the debt. In 1824, the Democratic-Republican Party split into factions. One supported Andrew Jackson, while the other backed John Quincy Adams. The faction that supported Jackson controlled the Senate and the House.

Years As President: 1825-1829 National Debt At The Beginning: $83,788,432.71 National Debt At The End: $58,421,413.67 Difference: - $25,367,019.04 Context: Neither John Quincy Adams nor Andrew Jackson (nor any candidate) had the majority electoral votes after the election of 1824 but, through that was later dubbed the “corrupt bargain,” Adams managed to emerge as the President of the United States. When Adams took office, the Federalists no longer existed and, by the end of the 1820s, the Jackson-backing Democratic-Republicans were simply known as Democrats. The National Republicans, also called the Whigs, formed out of the group that supported Adams. During Adams's presidency, the Senate was controlled by Jackson supporters (or Jacksonians) but the House featured a majority of Adams supporters. The national debt did see a significant decrease during Adams's time in office, however.

Years As President: 1829-1837 National Debt At The Beginning: $58,421,413.67 National Debt At The End: $336,957.83 Difference: - $58,084,455.84 Context: Andrew Jackson had not become President of the United States in 1824 when he ran, but came out as the victor four years later. During his administration, the House and the Senate saw large majorities of Jacksonians, or Democrats. In 1835, the national debut of the United States reached $0 for the first and only time in the country's history. This was largely the result of vetoes Jackson made on spending bills and by selling government land. By 1837, Jackson's policies, including the end of the National Bank and a decline in foreign investments, once again caused the national debt to go up.

Years As President: 1837-1841 National Debt At The Beginning: $336,957.83 National Debt At The End: $5,250,875.54 Difference: $4,913,917.71 Context: Martin Van Buren inherited a relatively low national debt when he took office, but it went up substantially during his term. It was just over $5 million by the time his tenure was over. Both houses of Congress were controlled by Democrats during Van Buren's presidency. Van Buren was also a Democrat.

Year As President: 1841 National Debt At The Beginning: $5,250,875.54 National Debt At The End: $5,250,875.54 Difference: $0 Context: William Henry Harrison was only President of the United States for about a month. During that time, the Whig Party (with which Jackson was affiliated) controlled the US Senate and had the majority in the US House of Representatives.

Years As President: 1841-1845 National Debt At The Beginning: $5,250,875.54 National Debt At The End: $15,925,303.01 Difference: $10,674,427.47 Context: Also a Whig (initially), John Tyler's administration had the same Whig majority as his predecessor in the US House of Representatives until 1843 when it shifted to the Democrats. The US Senate was majority Whig throughout his tenure. The national debt went up threefold during Tyler's administration. He was often at odds with the Whigs in Congress due to differing ideas about tariffs. As an aside, the national debut began to be calculated by fiscal year in 1843. Previously, it was determined every calendar year.

Years As President: 1845-1849 National Debt At The Beginning: $15,925,303.01 National Debt At The End: $63,061,858.69 Difference: $47,136,555.68 Context: James K. Polk was a Democrat, and his administration saw a majority of Democrats in the House until 1847. After that, the Whigs took a narrow majority. The US Senate was controlled by Democrats throughout his presidency. The increase in the national debt during Polk's tenure was the result of funding the Mexican-American War and the outcome of the Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo (the US paid $15 million to Mexico and assumed its national debt), among other spending.

Years As President: 1849-1850 National Debt At The Beginning: $63,061,858.69 National Debt At The End: $63,452,773.55 Difference: $390,914.86 Context: During his 16 months in office, Zachary Taylor's administration worked with a US House of Representatives and a Senate controlled by Democrats. Taylor was a Whig.

Years As President: 1850-1853 National Debt At The Beginning: $63,452,773.55 National Debt At The End: $59,803,117.70 Difference: - $3,649,655.85 Context: Millard Fillmore became the President of the United States after Zachary Taylor's death. He was also a Whig, and throughout his presidency, the US Senate and House of Representatives were majority Democrat.

Years As President: 1853-1857 National Debt At The Beginning: $59,803,117.70 National Debt At The End: $28,699,831.85 Difference: - $31,103,285.85 Context: Franklin Pierce's administration was characterized by a Democratic-controlled Senate. Pierce was also a Democrat. The House of Representatives was controlled by Democrats for the first two years of Pierce's presidency. Between 1855 and 1857, however, the House was divided among supporters and opposers to western expansion and slavery. Both the Senate and the House saw the development of the American Party, also called the Know Nothing Party. This group wanted to restrict immigration and believed in a religious conspiracy designed to destroy religious freedom in the United States.

Years As President: 1857-1861 National Debt At The Beginning: $28,699,831.85 National Debt At The End: $90,580,873.72 Difference: $61,881,041.87 Context: When James Buchanan took office, the Democratic saw a unified US Congress with both the House and the Senate controlled by his party for the first two years. The last two years of Buchanan's presidency were characterized by a House controlled by Republicans and a Senate controlled by Democrats. This iteration of the Republican Party developed from the remnants of the Whig Party as well as anti-slavery proponents. The passing of the Kansas-Nebraska Act in 1854 essentially ended the Whig Party due to the opening of Kansas and Nebraska territories to slavery. This negated the Missouri Compromise, which had restricted slavery north of the 36th parallel since 1820.

Years As President: 1861-1865 National Debt At The Beginning: $90,580,873.72 National Debt At The End: $2,680,647,869.74 Difference: $2,590,066,996.02 Context: The massive increase in the national debt during Abraham Lincoln's presidency was largely the result of funding the Union side during the American Civil War. Lincoln's administration was accompanied by a Republican-controlled Congress as both the House and the Senate were majority Republican. Lincoln was also a Republican.

Years As President: 1865-1869 National Debt At The Beginning: $2,680,647,869.74 National Debt At The End: $2,588,452,213.94 Difference: - $92,195,655.8 Context: When Andrew Johnson became President of the United States after the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, he was a member of the National Union Party. This was a party that grew out of a coalition of Republicans, War Democrats, and others who supported the Union war effort. By the end of his time as president, Johnson had begun to shift back to the Democratic Party. Johnson's presidency saw Republican majorities in both houses of Congress. Johnson and Congress often clashed about policies related to Reconstruction.

Years As President: 1869-1877 National Debt At The Beginning: $2,588,452,213.94 National Debt At The End: $2,205,301,392.10 Difference: - $383,150,821.84 Context: Ulysses S. Grant oversaw much of Reconstruction, the effort to reunite the country after the Civil War. The national debt fell slightly under Grant, but his administration was rife with corruption and inflation alike. Grant, a Republican, coexisted alongside a united Congress with Republican majorities in both the House and the Senate until 1875. After that, the House was majority Democrat for the rest of his presidency.

Years As President: 1877-1881 National Debt At The Beginning: $2,205,301,392.10 National Debt At The End: $2,069,013,569.58 Difference: - $136,287,822.52 Context: When Rutherford B. Hayes became President of the United States, the Republican made a concerted effort to reshape perception of the office after the Grant administration as well as repair the financial instability it wrought. While Hayes was president, the House of Representatives was controlled by Democrats. During the first two years of his term, the Senate was majority Republican, but Democrats took control between 1879 and 1881.

Year As President: 1881 National Debt At The Beginning: $2,069,013,569.58 National Debt At The End: $2,069,013,569.58 Difference: $0 Context: James A. Garfield was President of the United States for about seven months before he died from an assassin's bullet. While in office, the Republican saw both the US House and Senate under Republican majorities.

Years As President: 1881-1885 National Debt At The Beginning: $2,069,013,569.58 National Debt At The End: $1,863,964,873.14 Difference: - $205,048,696.44 Context: Chester A. Arthur became President of the United States after James A. Garfield was assassinated. Also a Republican, he entered office with both houses of Congress under Republican majorities. Between 1883 and 1885, the House was controlled by Democrats.

Years As President: 1885-1889; 1893-1897 National Debt At The Beginning: $1,863,964,873.14 (first term); $1,545,985,686.13 (second term) National Debt At The End: $1,619,052,922.23 (first term); $1,817,672,665.90 (second term) Difference: - $244,911,950.91; $271,686,979.77 Context: During Grover Cleveland's first term as President of the United States, the House of Representatives was controlled by Democrats and the Senate was controlled by Republicans. Cleveland was a Democrat. During his second term, Cleveland saw both houses of Congress with Democratic majorities between 1893 and 1895. The last two years of Cleveland's presidency were characterized by a fully Republican-controlled Congress.

Years As President: 1889-1893 National Debt At The Beginning: $1,619,052,922.23 National Debt At The End: $1,545,985,686.13 Difference: - $73,067,236.10 Context: Benjamin Harrison entered the presidency with both houses of Congress under Republican control. Harrison, also a Republican, saw the Senate have the majority throughout his tenure, but the House was under the control of Democrats between 1891 and 1893.

Years As President: 1897-1901 National Debt At The Beginning: $1,817,672,665.90 National Debt At The End: $2,143,326,933.89 Difference: $325,654,267.99 Context: Republican William McKinley was accompanied by a Congress that had Republican majorities in both houses throughout his time in office.

Years As President: 1901-1909 National Debt At The Beginning: $2,143,326,933.89 National Debt At The End: $2,639,546,241.04 Difference: $496,219,307.15 Context: William McKinley was assassinated roughly seven months into his second term as president, at which point Vice President Theodore Roosevelt became President of the United States. By the time Roosevelt took office, the national debt had risen from relatively stable numbers during the previous two decades. During Roosevelt's presidency, the debt continued to go up due to spending on infrastructure, conservation, and the construction of the Panama Canal. Republicans had the majorities in the US House and the Senate throughout Roosevelt's tenure as president.

Years As President: 1909-1913 National Debt At The Beginning: $2,639,546,241.04 National Debt At The End: $2,916,204,913.66 Difference: $276,658,672.62 Context: William Howard Taft, a Republican, was accompanied into office by a Congress with Republican majorities in both houses. Between 1911 and 1913, the US House of Representatives was held by a Democratic majority while the Senate remained majority Republican.

Years As President: 1913-1921 National Debt At The Beginning: $2,916,204,913.66 National Debt At The End: $23,977,450,552.54 Difference: $21,061,245,638.88 Context: The national debt under Woodrow Wilson, a Democrat, increased slowly until 1917 when it rose by about $2 billion in one year. By 1919, the national debt was the highest it had ever been, topping $27 billion. This was the result of US involvement in World War I. Congress during Wilson's tenure was characterized by Democratic majorities in both the US House and the Senate through 1919. After that, both houses shifted to majority Republican.

Years As President: 1921-1923 National Debt At The Beginning: $23,977,450,552.54 National Debt At The End: $22,349,707,365.36 Difference: - $1,627,743,187.18 Context: Republican Warren G. Harding took office on the heels of the massive increase in the national debt. His short presidency (he died while visiting California in 1923) included several scandals, but they did not come to light until after he passed away. Harding was popular during his tenure and had both Republican-held houses of Congress to work with throughout.

Years As President: 1923-1929 National Debt At The Beginning: $22,349,707,365.36 National Debt At The End: $16,931,088,484.10 Difference: - $5,418,618,881.26 Context: Calvin Coolidge became President of the United States after the death of Warren G. Harding and won the election in 1925. A Republican, Coolidge oversaw a time of prosperity and during his entire presidency, both houses of Congress had Republican majorities.

Years As President: 1929-1933 National Debt At The Beginning: $16,931,088,484.10 National Debt At The End: $22,538,672,560.15 Difference: $5,607,584,076.05 Context: Herbert Hoover was President of the United States when the stock market crashed in 1929 and during the early part of the Great Depression. The first two years of his administration saw a Congress with Republican majorities in both houses. The House of Representatives shifted to Democratic control between 1931 and 1933. It should be noted that between election day in 1930 and when Congress convened, 14 members of the House of Representatives died. The Republicans, who had a majority before the deaths, lost its control of the House when special elections were held. This was heavily influenced by public responses to the Hoover administration's handling of the Great Depression.

Years As President: 1933-1945 National Debt At The Beginning: $22,538,672,560.15 National Debt At The End: $258,682,187,409.93 Difference: $236,143,514,849.78 Context: With the combined federal subsidies and programs designed to aid Americans during the Great Depression and the expenses incurred during World War II, the national debt in the United States reached one-quarter of a trillion dollars during the administration of Franklin D. Roosevelt. FDR, a Democrat, was elected into office four times and saw both houses of Congress with Democratic majorities.

Years As President: 1945-1953 National Debt At The Beginning: $258,682,187,409.93 National Debt At The End: $266,071,061,638.57 Difference: $738,874,228.64 Context: Harry S. Truman became President of the United States after FDR's death, entering office during a time when Democrats controlled both Congressional houses. Between 1947 and 1949, both the US House of Representatives and the Senate shifted to Republican control. During Truman's second term as president, the US House and the Senate both had Democratic majorities again. Part of the reason the national debt increased during Truman's presidency was the cost to the US for participation in the Korean War. Spending related to the Cold War was also a factor.

Years As President: 1953-1961 National Debt At The Beginning: $266,071,061,638.57 National Debt At The End: $288,970,938,610.05 Difference: $22,899,876,971.48 Context: Dwight D. Eisenhower, a Republican, saw his party with majorities in both the House of Representatives and the Senate between 1953 and 1955. For the remainder of his presidency, both Congressional houses were held by Democratic majorities. During Eisenhower's presidency, the Congress raised the debt limit for the first time in the post-WWII era. The limit was increased to $300 billion during the war but was reduced to $275 billion after. With that number fast-approaching in late 1953, Eisenhower asked for an additional $15 billion on the debt ceiling, but the Senate would not pass the bill. Eisenhower's government found ways around the refusal by taking actions like selling off gold reserves. Congress later raised the debt limit by $6 billion in 1954.

Years As President: 1961-1963 National Debt At The Beginning: $288,970,938,610.05 National Debt At The End: $305,859,632,996.41 Difference: $16,888,694,386.36 Context: Since the initial increase to the national debt ceiling, the limit had gone back to $275 billion, but it was increased again in 1957. By the time John F. Kennedy took office, the debt remained a point of contention between the Congress and the office of the President. Congress granted temporary debt limit increases in 1962, raising it to $300 billion before dropping it back to the previous limit of $285 billion. The additional funds were largely allocated to defense spending. As a Democrat, JFK saw both the US Senate and the House of Representatives with Democratic majorities.

Years As President: 1963-1969 National Debt At The Beginning: $305,859,632,996.41 National Debt At The End: $353,720,253,841.41 Difference: $47,860,620,845 Context: Lyndon B. Johnson became President of the United States after the assassination of JFK, and inherited the policy of extending aid to South Vietnam. By 1967, the Democratic president asked Congress for more money to support the war. With both houses still controlled by Democrats for his entire presidency, Johnson oversaw a national debt that was bogged down in ever-growing financial spending on the war in Vietnam.

Years As President: 1969-1974 National Debt At The Beginning: $353,720,253,841.41 National Debt At The End: $475,059,815,731.55 Difference: $121,339,561,890.14 Context: Republican Richard Nixon continued to spend large amounts of money in Vietnam, raising the national debt in the process. Nixon also approved the expansion of Social Security in the United States and attempted to implement economic controls to quell inflation. Democrats had majorities in both houses of Congress and, 1974, passed the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act (also called the Impoundment Control Act). This created the Congressional Budget Office and delineated Congressional budget priorities from those of the President. This essentially reaffirmed Congressional control of the purse strings.

Years As President: 1974-1977 National Debt At The Beginning: $475,059,815,731.55 National Debt At The End: $698,840,000,000.00 Difference: $223,780,184,268.45 Context: On the heels of Nixon's resignation of the presidency, Republican Gerald Ford entered the Oval Office and faced a Congress still controlled by the opposing party. The entire US economy struggled under Ford, with high inflation and high unemployment alike, a phenomenon dubbed “stagflation.” As a result, the national debt skyrocketed.

Years As President: 1977-1981 National Debt At The Beginning: $698,840,000,000.00 National Debt At The End: $997,855,000,000.00 Difference: $299,015,000,000.00 Context: Jimmy Carter, a Democrat, was supposed to be a reprieve to the stagflation the country faced under his predecessor. Despite having a Congress controlled by Democrats in the US House and the Senate, there was no relief in terms of repairing the economy. As a result, the national debt was approaching $1 trillion by the the end of his presidency.

Years As President: 1981-1989 National Debt At The Beginning: $997,855,000,000.00 National Debt At The End: $2,857,430,960,187.32 Difference: $1,859,575,960,187.32 Context: Republican Ronald Reagan was never in unified government with Congress when it came to party dynamics. The US House of Representatives was under Democratic control throughout his tenure and the Senate lost its Republican majority for the last two years of Reagan's presidency. The national debt rose to nearly $3 trillion under Reagan, an increased fueled by the President's financial policies and a massive rise in defense spending.

Years As President: 1989-1993 National Debt At The Beginning: $2,857,430,960,187.32 National Debt At The End: $4,411,488,883,139.38 Difference: $1,554,057,922,952.06 Context: President George H.W. Bush oversaw a financial recession, a large federal deficit, and a war in the Middle East, all of which increased the national debt. The Democratic party controlled both houses of Congress throughout Bush's presidency.

Years As President: 1993-2001 National Debt At The Beginning: $4,411,488,883,139.38 National Debt At The End: $5,807,463,412,200.06 Difference: $1,395,974,529,060.68 Context: President Bill Clinton is unique in that the last time the United States had a balanced budget was during his time in office. In 2001, expenditures and revenue in the US actually resulted in an annual budget surplus. While there was no federal deficit in 2001, the national debt continued to rise while Clinton was president. Both houses of Congress were majority Democrat during his first two years in office. After that, Republicans held both the US House of Representatives and the Senate.

Years As President: 2001-2009 National Debt At The Beginning: $5,807,463,412,200.06 National Debt At The End: $11,909,829,003,511.70 Difference: $6,102,365,591,311.64 Context: George W. Bush was President of the United States alongside a US Senate that changed hands several times for the first two years of his tenure. Between 2003 and 2007, both houses of Congress were controlled by Republicans. From 2007 to 2009, Democrats controlled both houses of Congress. The national debut rose under Bush, in part, as a result of the post-9/11 “War on Terror” and tax cuts that were implemented during the 2000s.

Years As President: 2009-2017 National Debt At The Beginning: $11,909,829,003,511.70 National Debt At The End: $20,244,900,016,053.50 Difference: $8,335,071,012,541.80 Context: President Barack Obama inherited a banking crisis and a recession when he took office. The national debt increased as a result of financial bailouts and other spending aimed at repairing the overall economy. Costs related to ongoing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan were also part of the national debt. Democrats controlled both houses of Congress for Obama's first two years in office, but Republicans held the House of Representatives between 2011 and 2017. The Senate shifted to Republican control from a Democratic majority between 2015 and 2017.

Years As President: 2017-2021; 2025- National Debt At The Beginning: $20,244,900,016,053.50 (first term); $35,464,673,929,171.60 (as of September 2024) National Debt At The End: $28,428,918,570,048.60 (first term); second term TBD Difference: $8,184,018,553,995.10; TBD Context: During the first two years of Trump's first term, both houses of Congress were controlled by Republicans. For the second two years, the Republican president saw a House shift to control by the Democrats while the Senate remained majority Republican. Trump's second term began with both the US House of Representatives and the Senate controlled by Republicans. Annual budget deficits, tax cuts, and the initial government response to the COVID-19 pandemic influenced the increase in the national debut during his first term. His second term began with efforts to cut excessive government expenditures though the establishment of the Department of Government Efficiency. Passed by Congress in July 2025, the 2025-2026 tax and spending bill, called the “One Big, Beautiful Bill Act,” is estimated to increase federal deficits by as much as $3.4 trillion over the next ten years.

Years As President: 2021-2025 National Debt At The Beginning: $28,428,918,570,048.60 National Debt At The End: $35,464,673,929,171.60 (as of September 2024) Difference: $7,035,755,359,123 Context: President Joe Biden oversaw much of the government response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This was part of the reason the national debt increased during his tenure. Additionally, legislation related to social security, the infrastructure of the US, and general appropriations increased the overall debt of the US. Both houses of Congress were controlled by Democrats from 2021-2023. Democrats maintained the majority of the US Senate to 2025, but Republicans took control of the House from 2023-2025.