Phillip L. Swagel, CBO’s Director:
As a result of the persistently large deficits, federal debt held by the public is projected to rise to $31.4 trillion at the end of 2030—an amount equal to 98 percent of GDP. At that point, debt would be higher as a percentage of GDP than at any point since just after World War II and more than double what it has averaged over the past 50 years. We project that the gap between spending and revenues would continue to widen over the following two decades and that debt would reach 180 percent of GDP by 2050, well above the highest percentage ever recorded in the United States. And it would be headed still higher.
