finance
U.S. Household Debt Rises to $17.794 Trillion in Q1 2026
The Federal Reserve Bank of New York reported total household debt increased $18 billion from the prior quarter, driven by gains in mortgages, auto loans and HELOCs that offset a seasonal drop in credit card balances. Delinquency rates showed little overall change at 4.8 percent, though student loan transition rates into serious delinquency fell sharply.
May 12, 11:15 AM·1m read5 sources
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U.S. 794 trillion at the end of March. 794 trillion at the end of March, up $18 billion from the previous quarter.
Home equity line of credit balances reached $446 billion after rising $12 billion in the quarter and $44 billion over the past year. New mortgage originations amounted to $530 billion during Q1 2026.
252 trillion, decreasing by $25 billion from Q4 2025 even as they rose $70 billion from the year-ago quarter. Aggregate credit card limits increased by $60 billion in the period. 685 trillion with an $18 billion quarterly gain and a $43 billion annual increase; $182 billion in new auto loans appeared on credit reports.
658 trillion after declining $6 billion from the fourth quarter while rising $27 billion over 12 months. 4 percent, continuing an expansion that began in 2022.
Daniel Mangrum, research economist at the New York Fed, stated that aggregate household debt levels rose slightly, with modest increases in most debt types offsetting a seasonal decline in credit card balances. U.S. household debt in some stage of delinquency.
83 percent. 16 percent for other debt. 86 percent in Q1 2026.
6 percent in the prior quarter. U.S. Department of Education’s Default Resolution Group.
The New York Fed’s accompanying analysis found student loan delinquencies returning toward pre-pandemic levels, with the pace of new delinquencies slowing. Its blog post examined which borrowers defaulted and whether those defaults spilled over to other debt categories.
The report is derived from the New York Fed’s Consumer Credit Panel, a nationally representative sample drawn from anonymized Equifax credit data.
