# U.S. Household Debt Hits $19.1 Trillion, Highest in Series Since 2003

By Enna Lee

Canonical URL: https://www.tokenpost.com/news/investing/57120
Published: 2026-11-14T01:55:50.000Z
Updated: 2026-11-14T01:55:50.000Z
Section: Investing

> Balances climbed $334 billion in the third quarter of 2026, while 5% of outstanding debt was in some stage of delinquency at quarter-end.

U.S. household debt rose $334 billion in the third quarter of 2026 to $19.105 trillion, with mortgage balances driving most of the increase and delinquencies edging higher.

The total was up 1.8% from the prior quarter and $520 billion from a year earlier. It was the highest balance in the series, which began in 2003.

Mortgages made up about 70% of household debt. Mortgage balances increased $257 billion to $13.374 trillion, though about half of that rise reflected balances being reported again after a gap in the previous quarter.

Home equity lines of credit rose $23 billion to $481 billion. Nonhousing debt balances increased $55 billion, or 1.1%. Credit-card balances climbed $22 billion to $1.285 trillion, auto loans rose $21 billion to $1.734 trillion, student loans increased $5 billion to $1.656 trillion, and other debt grew $7 billion to $575 billion.

The delinquent share of outstanding debt reached 5.0% at September’s end, a 0.3-percentage-point increase from the second quarter. Transitions into early delinquency increased for mortgages and auto loans, while the rate improved slightly for credit cards.

“Household debt levels rose moderately, led by increases in mortgage and home equity line of credit originations,” said Donghoon Lee, an economic research adviser at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.