2024 Credit Card Debt Statistics
Americans have an absolute mountain of credit card debt — $1.115 trillion, to be exact.
This credit card debt statistics page tracks Americans’ credit card use each month. We update this page regularly, looking at how much debt people have, how often they carry a balance month to month, how often they pay their credit card bills late and more.
How much credit card debt do Americans have?
This marks the first quarterly decrease since the first quarter of 2022. However, it isn’t unusual for credit card debt to dip in the first quarter. That’s exactly what it has done in all but two years — 2000 and 2001 — since the report began in 1999. Still, given the rate at which credit card debt has risen in recent years, it wouldn’t have been shocking to see 2024 buck these historical trends and show an increase in the first quarter. That’s not what happened, though.
Despite this latest decrease, credit card balances have still risen by $259 billion since the fourth quarter of 2021. Americans’ credit card debt is $188 billion higher than the record set in the fourth quarter of 2019, when balances stood at $927 billion. However, thanks to record interest rates, stubborn inflation and myriad other economic factors, credit card balances are likely only going to climb, despite what we saw in the first quarter.
These record balances are light years above the $478 billion seen more than 20 years ago in the first quarter of 1999.
Card debt showed hockey-stick growth until the financial collapse in 2008, when balances fell from $866 billion in the fourth quarter of 2008 to $660 billion in the first quarter of 2013. But, as you can see in the chart below, the hockey stick returned.
Then, when the pandemic took hold in 2020, credit card balances plunged again — from $927 billion in the fourth quarter of 2019 to $770 billion in the first quarter of 2021. But — again — the hockey stick returned, thanks to a massive spike in the fourth quarter of 2021.
Which states’ residents have the most credit card debt?
Credit cardholders in New Jersey have the highest average credit card debt of any state, according to LendingTree data, while those in Mississippi have the lowest.
| Rank | State | Average credit card debt, Q3 2023 | Average credit card debt, Q4 2023 | % difference, Q3 2023 to Q4 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Jersey | $8,757 | $8,909 | 1.7% |
| 2 | Connecticut | $8,402 | $8,640 | 2.8% |
| 3 | Maryland | $8,741 | $8,626 | -1.3% |
| 4 | New York | $8,675 | $8,566 | -1.3% |
| 5 | Massachusetts | $8,026 | $8,447 | 5.2% |
| 6 | California | $7,936 | $8,366 | 5.4% |
| 7 | Colorado | $7,860 | $8,134 | 3.5% |
| 8 | Florida | $8,048 | $7,937 | -1.4% |
| 9 | Rhode Island | $8,236 | $7,872 | -4.4% |
| 10 | Hawaii | $7,879 | $7,757 | -1.5% |
| 11 | Nevada | $7,724 | $7,646 | -1.0% |
| 12 | New Hampshire | $8,221 | $7,542 | -8.3% |
| 13 | District of Columbia | $7,589 | $7,536 | -0.7% |
| 14 | Texas | $7,359 | $7,458 | 1.3% |
| 15 | Delaware | $7,770 | $7,436 | -4.3% |
| 16 | Virginia | $7,193 | $7,417 | 3.1% |
| 17 | Alaska | $7,650 | $7,379 | -3.5% |
| 18 | Maine | $7,330 | $7,364 | 0.5% |
| 19 | Illinois | $7,555 | $7,352 | -2.7% |
| 20 | North Dakota | $7,091 | $7,096 | 0.1% |
| 21 | Washington | $7,158 | $7,088 | -1.0% |
| 22 | Arizona | $7,067 | $7,080 | 0.2% |
| 23 | Pennsylvania | $6,791 | $7,059 | 3.9% |
| 24 | Oregon | $6,485 | $6,988 | 7.8% |
| 25 | Utah | $6,657 | $6,876 | 3.3% |
| 26 | Minnesota | $6,669 | $6,765 | 1.4% |
| 27 | Kansas | $6,504 | $6,722 | 3.4% |
| 28 | Nebraska | $6,681 | $6,702 | 0.3% |
| 29 | Wyoming | $6,542 | $6,692 | 2.3% |
| 30 | Georgia | $6,959 | $6,690 | -3.9% |
| 31 | Montana | $6,835 | $6,677 | -2.3% |
| 32 | Vermont | $7,014 | $6,544 | -6.7% |
| 33 | South Dakota | $6,237 | $6,510 | 4.4% |
| 33 | Iowa | $7,119 | $6,510 | -8.6% |
| 35 | Michigan | $6,243 | $6,282 | 0.6% |
| 36 | North Carolina | $6,703 | $6,176 | -7.9% |
| 37 | South Carolina | $6,325 | $6,100 | -3.6% |
| 38 | Ohio | $6,163 | $6,035 | -2.1% |
| 39 | New Mexico | $6,075 | $5,959 | -1.9% |
| 40 | Idaho | $6,396 | $5,952 | -6.9% |
| 41 | Louisiana | $6,011 | $5,899 | -1.9% |
| 42 | Wisconsin | $6,181 | $5,888 | -4.7% |
| 43 | Missouri | $6,187 | $5,827 | -5.8% |
| 44 | West Virginia | $6,383 | $5,787 | -9.3% |
| 45 | Tennessee | $6,068 | $5,757 | -5.1% |
| 46 | Oklahoma | $6,087 | $5,723 | -6.0% |
| 47 | Indiana | $5,857 | $5,501 | -6.1% |
| 48 | Alabama | $5,720 | $5,387 | -5.8% |
| 49 | Arkansas | $5,924 | $5,363 | -9.5% |
| 50 | Kentucky | $5,917 | $5,090 | -14.0% |
| 51 | Mississippi | $5,658 | $4,956 | -12.4% |
| N/A | National average | $6,993 | $6,864 | -2.0% |
Source: LendingTree analysis of the anonymized credit reports of more than 310,000 LendingTree users in the third quarter of 2023 and more than 350,000 in the fourth quarter of 2023. Note: The rank is based on the average credit card debt in Q4 2023.
LendingTree analysts reviewed anonymized credit report data from the fourth quarter of 2023 for more than 350,000 LendingTree users to calculate these averages and create a list of states with the most debt. We also compared that data to what we had found in our third-quarter analysis of more than 310,000 reports.
The five states with the highest debt are all in the eastern U.S., with all but Maryland in the Northeast. The four with the lowest are in the South. There are major differences in the balances at the top and bottom of our rankings, with New Jersey cardholders owing $8,909 and Mississippi’s owing $4,956. (It’s the only state with an average balance of less than $5,000.) That means the average New Jersey balance is 80% higher than the average balance in Mississippi.
Oregon has the fastest-growing card debt between the periods analyzed. That state’s average card balance grew 7.8% from the third quarter of 2023 to the fourth, rising from $6,485 to $6,988. California (5.4%) and Massachusetts (5.2%) were the only other states with increases of 5.0% or more.
Meanwhile, two states saw double-digit decreases: Kentucky (14.0%) and Mississippi (12.4%). Arkansas (9.5%) and West Virginia (9.3%) weren’t far behind.
What percentage of credit cardholders carry a balance?
Fewer than half of adult credit cardholders (47%) carried a balance on a credit card for at least one month in the past year, according to a May 2024 Federal Reserve study.
Job No. 1 for anyone with a credit card is to pay off that balance in full at the end of each month. But we all know that life happens, and that means that it’s not always possible to pay off your credit cards each month.
Federal Reserve data showed that fewer than half (47%) of credit cardholders carried a balance at some point in 2023. That’s down a percentage point from 2021 and 2022 but is down even further from 2020, when that rate was 50%.
What’s the average interest rate on people’s credit cards? What about those who carry a balance? What about new credit card offers?
For all credit cards, the average APR in the first quarter of 2024 was 21.59%.
For cards accruing interest, the average in the first quarter of 2024 was 22.63%.
For new credit card offers, the average today is 24.80% — the highest since we began tracking rates monthly in 2019.
| Average APRs for current card accounts and new credit card offers | |
| Average APR for all current card accounts | 21.59% |
| Average APR for all accounts that accrue interest | 22.63% |
| Average APR for new credit card offers | 24.80% |
Sources: LendingTree data, Federal Reserve
The Federal Reserve’s G.19 consumer credit report showed that the average APRs for cards accruing interest dipped to 22.63% in the first quarter of 2024, down slightly from 22.75% in the fourth quarter of 2023. It’s the second straight quarterly decrease. Before this, we hadn’t seen a quarterly decrease since the first quarter of 2022. Meanwhile, APRs for all current credit card accounts jumped to 21.59% in the first quarter of 2024, up from 21.47% in the fourth quarter of 2023. According to the Fed, the average for all card accounts is the highest since tracking began in 1994.
And as the chart below shows, the rate you’re offered can also vary widely based on the type of card for which you apply.
Average APRs by category
| Category | Minimum APR | Maximum APR | Average | Previous month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average APR for all new card offers | 21.40% | 28.19% | 24.80% | 24.71% |
| 0% balance transfer cards | 18.90% | 27.99% | 23.45% | 23.42% |
| No-annual-fee cards | 20.86% | 27.75% | 24.31% | 24.15% |
| Rewards cards | 21.12% | 28.32% | 24.72% | 24.61% |
| Cash back cards | 21.45% | 28.17% | 24.81% | 24.60% |
| Travel rewards cards | 21.15% | 28.88% | 25.01% | 24.91% |
| Airline credit cards | 21.32% | 29.41% | 25.37% | 25.32% |
| Hotel credit cards | 21.73% | 29.43% | 25.58% | 25.58% |
| Low-interest credit cards | 13.63% | 21.40% | 17.51% | 17.55% |
| Grocery rewards cards | 20.88% | 28.40% | 24.64% | 24.60% |
| Gas rewards cards | 21.45% | 28.22% | 24.83% | 24.76% |
| Dining rewards cards | 20.82% | 28.56% | 24.69% | 24.61% |
| Student credit cards | 19.14% | 28.74% | 23.94% | 23.74% |
| Secured credit cards | 27.18% | 27.18% | 27.18% | 27.13% |
Source: LendingTree review of publicly available terms and conditions for about 220 U.S. credit cards.
Of course, your best move is to make those interest rates a moot point by paying your card debt in full, but that’s often easier said than done.
How many Americans are currently delinquent with their credit card payments?
Just 3.16% of Americans’ total outstanding credit card balances are currently at least 30 days delinquent.
According to the most recent delinquency data from the Fed, the 30-day delinquency rate (or the percentage of total outstanding credit card balances currently at least 30 days overdue) rose from 3.08% in the fourth quarter of 2023 to 3.16% in the first quarter of 2024.
That’s the 10th straight quarter of increases, pushing rates to the highest levels seen since the fourth quarter of 2011, when rates hit 3.25%. However, delinquency rates are still near historic lows. The average delinquency rate since the Fed began tracking in 1991 is 3.73%, while the average since 2000 is 3.46%.
Today’s numbers are also vastly different from what we saw during the Great Recession, when delinquencies peaked at nearly 7% in 2009 and stayed above 5% for nearly two years.
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