FEDERAL DEBT HELD BY THE PUBLIC AS A PERCENTAGE OF GDP
Calendar Calendar Calendar Calendar Calendar
Year Debt Year Debt Year Debt Year Debt Year Debt
------- ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- -------
1790 29.6 1840 0.3 1890 7.8 1940 42.7 1990 42.8
1791 29.2 1841 0.8 1891 7.0 1941 43.3 1991 46.1
1792 28.0 1842 1.2 1892 6.6 1942 62.0 1992 48.3
1793 24.4 1843 1.5 1893 6.8 1943 77.1 1993 49.5
1794 21.8 1844 1.0 1894 7.9 1944 95.7 1994 49.2
1795 18.7 1845 0.7 1895 7.9 1945 112.7 1995 49.2
1796 16.4 1846 1.2 1896 8.5 1946 102.6 1996 47.9
1797 16.5 1847 1.7 1897 8.0 1947 90.4 1997 45.3
1798 16.0 1848 2.2 1898 8.4 1948 79.9 1998 42.3
1799 15.8 1849 2.5 1899 7.5 1949 81.4 1999 38.6
1800 15.1 1850 2.3 1900 6.6 1950 73.7 2000 34.5
1801 13.3 1851 2.4 1901 5.7 1951 63.7 2001 33.3
1802 13.9 1852 2.0 1902 5.4 1952 61.8 2002 34.7
1803 14.1 1853 1.4 1903 5.0 1953 60.2 2003 36.6
1804 13.2 1854 1.1 1904 4.7 1954 60.7 2004 37.4
1805 10.9 1855 0.9 1905 4.3 1955 55.5 2005 37.5
1806 10.0 1856 0.7 1906 4.0 1956 51.2 2006 37.0
1807 9.5 1857 0.9 1907 4.0 1957 48.1 2007 37.9
1808 8.9 1858 1.2 1908 4.3 1958 49.5 2008 44.0
1809 7.4 1859 1.5 1909 3.8 1959 47.0
1810 6.2 1860 1.9 1910 3.7 1960 44.8
1811 5.7 1861 7.2 1911 3.6 1961 44.6
1812 6.8 1862 16.8 1912 3.4 1962 42.9
1813 8.2 1863 23.8 1913 3.2 1963 41.4
1814 8.5 1864 25.6 1914 3.5 1964 39.0
1815 10.2 1865 31.0 1915 3.3 1965 36.5
1816 9.6 1866 31.4 1916 2.7 1966 33.7
1817 7.8 1867 31.4 1917 13.3 1967 33.4
1818 7.0 1868 30.5 1918 30.2 1968 31.2
1819 7.4 1869 30.0 1919 33.4 1969 28.5
1820 8.3 1870 27.9 1920 27.3 1970 28.2
1821 9.1 1871 25.7 1921 31.6 1971 27.7
1822 8.1 1872 24.4 1922 31.1 1972 26.8
1823 8.3 1873 23.2 1923 25.2 1973 24.8
1824 7.6 1874 24.0 1924 23.5 1974 24.6
1825 6.5 1875 23.7 1925 21.6 1975 26.6
1826 6.3 1876 24.1 1926 19.0 1976 28.1
1827 5.7 1877 23.9 1927 18.0 1977 27.8
1828 4.8 1878 25.5 1928 17.0 1978 26.8
1829 3.9 1879 23.0 1929 14.9 1979 25.7
1830 3.2 1880 18.4 1930 16.5 1980 26.2
1831 1.8 1881 16.8 1931 22.3 1981 26.3
1832 0.5 1882 14.3 1932 34.5 1982 30.0
1833 0.3 1883 13.5 1933 39.1 1983 33.4
1834 0.0 1884 13.3 1934 44.0 1984 34.5
1835 0.0 1885 13.2 1935 42.9 1985 37.1
1836 0.0 1886 12.4 1936 43.0 1986 39.8
1837 0.2 1887 11.2 1937 40.1 1987 40.7
1838 0.6 1888 10.2 1938 42.8 1988 40.9
1839 0.2 1889 8.6 1939 43.0 1989 41.0
Years War
--------- --------------------
1812-1815 War of 1812
1846-1948 Mexican-American War
1861-1865 Civil War
1917-1918* World War I
1941-1945 World War II
1965-1975^ Vietnam War
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* World War I spans from U.S. entry in 1917 to end of war in 1918;
^ Vietnam War spans from 1965 when U.S. forces increased from 23,300 to 184,300
to end of war in 1975
Source: The Long-Term Budget Outlook, Supplemental Data, Congressional Budget
Office, tabs F1-3 and F-Box 1-3
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