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US federal debt growth

A series of developments concerning the increasing U.S. federal debt, including its causes, impacts, and government responses over time.

Bond sell-off pushes 30-year Treasury yield to highest since 2007

Illustration accompanying article: Bond sell-off pushes 30-year Treasury yield to highest since 2007
  • The U.S. Treasury Department reported federal debt hit a record $40 trillion on Wednesday, according to NPR.
  • The yield on the 30-year Treasury bond reached its highest level since 2007 this week.
  • Investors are mainly concerned about two things driving the sell-off, according to NPR.
  • The average rate on a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage hit 6.67% last week, per Freddie Mac data reported by NPR.
  • The U.S. is now paying approximately $3 billion per day in interest on its debt, NPR reported.
  • Interest payments have become the federal government's second-largest expense, trailing only Social Security.
 2026-08-20 · 3 MIN READ