United States national debt approaches $40.4 trillion

Total US public debt outstanding stood at $40.396 trillion on October 19, according to daily figures from the US Treasury.

The figure had been just above $40 trillion on August 19. Debt increased by nearly $400 billion over the following two months.

In its February outlook, the Congressional Budget Office projected that federal debt held by the public would exceed GDP by 20% in 2036. That measure excludes intragovernmental holdings, which are included in total public debt outstanding.