Obama Added $1.17 Trillion a Year to U.S. Debt, 24/7 Wall St. Analysis Finds

Barack Obama added roughly $9.32 trillion to the US government's total public debt during his two terms, according to an analysis by 24/7 Wall St.

Former President Barack Obama oversaw an increase of about $9.32 trillion in US total public debt during his two terms, according to a 24/7 Wall St. analysis. [Photo: Barrack Obama Facebook]

That was the largest raw increase recorded during any completed US presidency, but Obama's average annual increase of about $1.17 trillion ranked fourth among the presidential terms examined.

The analysis, published Sept. 1, used Total Public Debt Outstanding at the beginning and end of each presidential term.

Obama took office with about $10.63 trillion in outstanding debt in January 2009 and left office with approximately $19.95 trillion in January 2017, an increase of about $9.32 trillion over eight years. 

On an annual basis, Obama's increase of approximately $1.17 trillion ranked behind Joe Biden's roughly $2.11 trillion a year, Donald Trump's approximately $1.95 trillion during his first term, and the annualized pace of Trump's unfinished second term, which the analysis estimates at roughly $2.3 trillion to $2.4 trillion.

The comparison uses nominal, unadjusted dollars and presidential inauguration-day debt snapshots.

Those methodological choices matter because the size of the US economy and federal budget has changed substantially over time. 

The US national debt surpassed $40 trillion in August 2026, underscoring the scale of the government's accumulated borrowing. The milestone, however, should not be attributed solely to any one president.

Federal spending and revenue are determined through legislation and are affected by economic conditions, wars, recessions, tax policy, entitlement programs and other factors.

The Treasury defines Total Public Debt Outstanding as the combined amount of debt held by the public and intragovernmental holdings.