Interest on US Debt Nears $1 Trillion and Could Double by 2036
Mar 3rd 2026
Interest on the $38.8 trillion national debt has tripled since 2020 to about $970 billion in 2025 and already tops spending on defense and Medicaid, analysts say.
- Net interest payments are about $970 billion in fiscal 2025, roughly three times their 2020 level.
- Interest spending already exceeds federal outlays for national defense and Medicaid.
- The Congressional Budget Office projects net interest will reach $2.1 trillion by 2036 and consume one quarter of federal revenue that year.
- Debt held by the public is projected to rise about 86% by 2036, adding roughly $26 trillion.
- Interest is expected to surpass Medicare spending by 2029 and Social Security by 2047, crowding out other programs as the debt grows about $6.4 billion per day.