US National Debt Approaches $40 Trillion, a Level No Country Has Ever Reached

US gross national debt is on the verge of crossing $40 trillion, a level no sovereign nation has ever reached, according to Treasury data confirmed by the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget on August 12. Yahoo Finance and PBS NewsHour corroborated the milestone on August 13 and 17. The debt stood at $38.40 trillion in December 2025, rising about $6.12 billion per day.