Total household debt in the United States rose by $191 billion from the previous quarter, reaching a new record high of $18.8 trillion in Q4 2025. Mortgage balances increased by $98 billion to $13.17 trillion, while credit card balances climbed by $44 billion to $1.28 trillion. Auto loan balances grew by $12 billion to $1.67 trillion. Home equity lines of credit (HELOC) expanded by $11.6 billion to $434 billion, and student loan balances rose by $11 billion to $1.66 trillion.
“As household debt levels grow modestly, mortgage delinquencies continue to increase,” said Wilbert van der Klaauw, Economic Research Advisor at the New York Fed. “Delinquency rates for mortgages are near historically normal levels, but the deterioration is concentrated in lower-income areas and in areas with declining home prices.”
