Infographic: Long-Term Debt and Its Drivers

Jan 23, 2019

A strong fiscal outlook is an essential foundation for a growing, thriving economy. Putting our nation on a sustainable fiscal path creates a positive environment for growth, opportunity, and prosperity. Unfortunately, America is on a dangerous long-term fiscal path. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) projects that national debt could rise to 152 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) by 2048. If our long-term fiscal imbalance is not addressed, our future economy will be diminished, with fewer economic opportunities for individuals and families, and less fiscal flexibility to respond to future crises.

The good news is that there is still time to act. While recent actions have actually made the budgetary situation worse, there are solutions to strengthen our fiscal and economic future.

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Long Term Debt and It's Drivers

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Tweet: America’s unsustainable fiscal path threatens our long-term economic stability.


Tweet: The #NationalDebt is already at its highest level since just after World War II, and annual deficits are on a steep upward trajectory in the years to come.


Tweet: #Medicare spending is growing rapidly due to the retirement of the baby boom generation and the rapid growth of #healthcare costs per person.


Tweet: With the retirement of the baby boomers and lengthening life expectancies, programs critical to older Americans will come under significant strain in coming decades.


Tweet: Rising interest costs on the #NationalDebt leave us with less funding for other investments that could help grow the economy.


Solutions Initiative 2024

Seven think tanks from across the ideological spectrum all agree that we are on an unsustainable fiscal path, and we need to change course.

National Debt Clock

See the latest numbers and learn more about the causes of our high and rising debt.