US household debt rises to 19.1 trillion dollars in third quarter
Rates
Tuesday, November 10, 2026
- Updated Nov 10, 2026 13:06
Total US household debt rose 334 billion dollars, or 1.8 percent, in the third quarter to 19.1 trillion dollars, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York reported, with mortgage balances up 257 billion dollars to 13.4 trillion dollars and credit card balances at a record 1.29 trillion dollars.
Why it matters: Households added debt at the fastest quarterly pace of 2026 even as the share of balances in some stage of delinquency rose to 5.0 percent, a consumer credit picture the Fed will weigh alongside the inflation data driving its December decision.
Data as of Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Quarterly Report on Household Debt and Credit for 2026Q3, released November 10, 2026; the total increase and delinquency characterisation are from the New York Fed's own Liberty Street Economics post accompanying the report, read in full, and the balance breakdown is Reuters reporting of the same report, read in full. Developing item.
Total US household debt rose 334 billion dollars in the third quarter of 2026, a 1.8 percent increase from the second quarter, to 19.1 trillion dollars, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York reported in its Quarterly Report on Household Debt and Credit. Mortgage balances rose 257 billion dollars to 13.4 trillion dollars, credit card balances rose 22 billion dollars to 1.29 trillion dollars, and auto loan balances rose 21 billion dollars to 1.7 trillion dollars.
The troubled share edged up. Five percent of outstanding debt was in some stage of delinquency, up 0.3 percentage points from the second quarter, a level the bank said is consistent with pre-pandemic conditions, and transitions into early delinquency rose for mortgages and auto loans while transitions into serious delinquency improved for credit cards and student loans. The New York Fed’s accompanying analysis traces much of the card stress to pandemic era lending, when a rising share of new cards went to borrowers in lower income neighbourhoods with lower credit scores, and expects new card delinquencies to keep improving if there is no macroeconomic shock.
Sources
- A Look at the Wider Divide in Credit Card Delinquency by Income - Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Liberty Street Economics - 2026-11-10
- NY Fed finds troubled debt levels ticked up in third quarter - Reuters - 2026-11-10