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Federal Revenue and Spending: A Book of Charts

Public Debt as Share of GDP Is Below Historical Average

The current debt burden from publicly held debt is almost 8 percentage points below the historical average of 45.4 percent of gross domestic product, given today’s deficits. Future deficits driven by entitlements will push this debt to staggering levels.

Debt Held by the Public as a Percentage of GDP, 1940–2008

Federal Revenue & Spending Chart
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Source: Federal Debt Data from FY 2009 Historical Tables, Budget of the United States Government, Table 7.1.
 

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