The trend chart shows the debt climbing. These six lenses ask why, and compared to what — each its own page, each tracing back to official data.
Both parties have added trillions over the same two decades — the line goes up regardless of who holds the White House.
View this lens →Each of the last several terms added between roughly $2T and $8T. None bent the curve back down.
View this lens →Debt was under a third of GDP in the early 1980s. It crossed 100% in 2012 and has not looked back.
View this lens →Past wars spiked the debt and then it receded. This climb has continued for two decades without a world war.
View this lens →Even measured in today's dollars, the burden on each person has more than doubled since 2005.
View this lens →Interest is the fastest-growing line in the budget. Every dollar servicing the debt is a dollar not spent elsewhere.
View this lens →Figures are the latest available estimates from U.S. Treasury, Census/FRED, BLS, CBO, and the IMF. Each lens page shows its own source and vintage. DebtPerPerson is an independent, nonpartisan informational project — these views are for general education, not financial or political advice.