Debt Held by the Public under Two Policy Simulations Fiscal year Congressional Budget Office GAO's baseline simulation GAO's alternative simulation Historical high Historical average 1970 27.1% . . 106% 46% 1971 27.1% . . 106% 46% 1972 26.5% . . 106% 46% 1973 25.2% . . 106% 46% 1974 23.2% . . 106% 46% 1975 24.6% . . 106% 46% 1976 26.7% . . 106% 46% 1977 27.1% . . 106% 46% 1978 26.7% . . 106% 46% 1979 25.0% . . 106% 46% 1980 25.5% . . 106% 46% 1981 25.2% . . 106% 46% 1982 27.9% . . 106% 46% 1983 32.2% . . 106% 46% 1984 33.1% . . 106% 46% 1985 35.3% . . 106% 46% 1986 38.5% . . 106% 46% 1987 39.6% . . 106% 46% 1988 39.9% . . 106% 46% 1989 39.4% . . 106% 46% 1990 40.9% . . 106% 46% 1991 44.1% . . 106% 46% 1992 46.8% . . 106% 46% 1993 47.9% . . 106% 46% 1994 47.8% . . 106% 46% 1995 47.7% . . 106% 46% 1996 47.0% . . 106% 46% 1997 44.6% . . 106% 46% 1998 41.7% . . 106% 46% 1999 38.3% . . 106% 46% 2000 33.7% . . 106% 46% 2001 31.5% . . 106% 46% 2002 32.7% . . 106% 46% 2003 34.7% . . 106% 46% 2004 35.7% . . 106% 46% 2005 35.8% . . 106% 46% 2006 35.4% . . 106% 46% 2007 35.2% . . 106% 46% 2008 39.4% . . 106% 46% 2009 52.3% . . 106% 46% 2010 60.8% . . 106% 46% 2011 65.8% . . 106% 46% 2012 70.3% . . 106% 46% 2013 72.2% . . 106% 46% 2014 73.7% . . 106% 46% 2015 72.4% . . 106% 46% 2016 76.2% . . 106% 46% 2017 75.9% . . 106% 46% 2018 77.3% . . 106% 46% 2019 79.2% . . 106% 46% 2020 100.1% . . 106% 46% 2021 . 102.3% 102.4% 106% 46% 2022 . 102.0% 102.4% 106% 46% 2023 . 102.0% 102.6% 106% 46% 2024 . 101.4% 102.3% 106% 46% 2025 . 101.2% 102.4% 106% 46% 2026 . 100.9% 102.8% 106% 46% 2027 . 101.0% 104.2% 106% 46% 2028 . 102.2% 106.7% 106% 46% 2029 . 103.2% 108.8% 106% 46% 2030 . 105.0% 111.9% 106% 46% 2031 . 107.2% 114.2% 106% 46% 2032 . 109.4% 116.7% 106% 46% 2033 . 112.1% 119.7% 106% 46% 2034 . 115.0% 123.2% 106% 46% 2035 . 118.2% 127.1% 106% 46% 2036 . 121.8% 131.5% 106% 46% 2037 . 125.6% 136.3% 106% 46% 2038 . 129.5% 141.3% 106% 46% 2039 . 133.6% 146.7% 106% 46% 2040 . 137.8% 152.4% 106% 46% 2041 . 142.1% 158.2% 106% 46% 2042 . 146.5% 164.4% 106% 46% 2043 . 150.9% 170.6% 106% 46% 2044 . 155.4% 176.8% 106% 46% 2045 . 160.0% 183.2% 106% 46% 2046 . 164.7% 189.5% 106% 46% 2047 . 169.4% 196.1% 106% 46% 2048 . 174.4% 202.8% 106% 46% 2049 . 179.6% 209.8% 106% 46% 2050 . 184.8% 216.8% 106% 46% 2051 . 190.0% 223.8% 106% 46% 2052 . 195.2% 230.9% 106% 46% 2053 . 200.5% 238.0% 106% 46% 2054 . 205.8% 245.1% 106% 46% 2055 . 211.2% 252.3% 106% 46% 2056 . 216.6% 259.6% 106% 46% 2057 . 222.1% 266.8% 106% 46% 2058 . 227.6% 274.1% 106% 46% 2059 . 233.1% 281.5% 106% 46% 2060 . 238.7% 288.9% 106% 46% 2061 . 244.5% 296.6% 106% 46% 2062 . 250.5% 304.4% 106% 46% 2063 . 256.5% 312.3% 106% 46% 2064 . 262.5% 320.2% 106% 46% 2065 . 268.7% 328.2% 106% 46% 2066 . 274.9% 336.3% 106% 46% 2067 . 281.1% 344.4% 106% 46% 2068 . 287.5% 352.6% 106% 46% 2069 . 293.9% 360.9% 106% 46% 2070 . 300.3% 369.3% 106% 46% 2071 . 306.8% 377.7% 106% 46% 2072 . 313.4% 386.2% 106% 46% 2073 . 320.1% 394.7% 106% 46% 2074 . 326.8% 403.3% 106% 46% 2075 . 333.3% 411.7% 106% 46% 2076 . 339.8% 420.0% 106% 46% 2077 . 346.4% 428.3% 106% 46% 2078 . 352.9% 436.7% 106% 46% 2079 . 359.5% 445.1% 106% 46% 2080 . 366.1% 453.5% 106% 46% 2081 . 372.8% 462.0% 106% 46% 2082 . 379.4% 470.4% 106% 46% 2083 . 386.1% 478.9% 106% 46% 2084 . 392.8% 487.4% 106% 46% 2085 . 399.4% 495.9% 106% 46% 2086 . 406.1% 504.4% 106% 46% 2087 . 412.8% 512.9% 106% 46% 2088 . 419.5% 521.4% 106% 46% 2089 . 426.2% 529.9% 106% 46% 2090 . 432.9% 538.4% 106% 46% 2091 . 439.7% 547.0% 106% 46% 2092 . 446.4% 555.6% 106% 46% 2093 . 453.2% 564.2% 106% 46% 2094 . 460.4% 573.2% 106% 46% URL: https://www.gao.gov/americas_fiscal_future?t=fiscal_forecast | Last updated: 03/17/2021