U.S. Borrowing Tops $1.4 Trillion as Interest Costs Near $24 Billion a Week

The U.S. government continues to borrow at a rapid pace despite concerns over the nation's growing debt burden.

The U.S. Treasury Department in Washington, D.C., as rising federal borrowing continues to push interest costs higher.

Through the first nine months of fiscal year 2026, the federal budget deficit has reached nearly $1.4 trillion, according to a report by Eleanor Pringle for Fortune, citing Congressional Budget Office (CBO) data.

The deficit for the current fiscal year, which began in October 2025, has already exceeded the borrowing recorded during the same period in fiscal year 2025, when the deficit totaled just over $1.3 trillion.

At the time of publication, the U.S. national debt stood at approximately $39.4 trillion, translating to average borrowing of roughly $155 billion per month, or about $39 billion per week.

The debt continues to generate substantial financing costs.

According to the Congressional Budget Office, net interest payments on the public debt reached $857 billion during the first nine months of fiscal 2026—equivalent to approximately $23.8 billion per week.

The CBO said interest costs were about $100 billion, or 13 percent, higher than during the same period a year earlier, reflecting both the larger national debt and higher long-term interest rates.