Adam McCann, WalletHub Financial WriterSep 10, 2025
Adam McCann, WalletHub Financial Writer Sep 10, 2025
Average Credit Card Debt:
Average Per Person: $6,730
Average Per Household: $10,951
Total Credit Card Debt: $1.32 Trillion
Year Over Year: 0.4% Up
The average credit card balance is $10,951 per household, as of Q2 2025. Adjusted for inflation, the average household’s balance is actually well below the record high of more than $13,000 at the end of 2007.
Below, you can find additional data on average credit card debt levels over time. Note, when we refer to credit card debt across this page, it means outstanding credit card balances and does not include all the credit card debt that consumers defaulted on and are still liable for.
Average household debt: The average American household owes $10,951 in credit card debt.
Average debt over time: The average American household’s credit card balance has increased by more than 78% since 1990, after adjusting for inflation.
City with the least sustainable credit card debt: It will take people in Juneau, Alaska roughly 81 months to pay off their median debt of $4,383, and it will cost $3,048 to pay off.
City with the most sustainable credit card debt: It will take residents of New Haven, Connecticut roughly 32 months to pay off the city’s median credit card debt of $1,906. They will pay an estimated $491 in finance charges in doing so.
Average Credit Card Debt by Household
Quarterly Average Household U.S. Revolving Consumer Debt
Mean & Median Values of Credit Card Balances for Families (for Balances Greater than Zero) — Adjusted for Inflation
The wide spread between the 2022 mean and median values suggests that at the time 50 percent or more of American families had credit card balances of over $9,540.
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The average credit card debt by age ranges from $4,070 for people between the ages of 18 and 35 to $3,990 for people aged 75+. The combined average credit card debt (for all ages) is roughly $10,668 per household, according to WalletHub data and FDIC. It's even higher if you only consider households that carry a balance from month to month.
The average credit card debt by age makes a lot of sense when you think about it. Cardholders younger than 35 years old have the lowest average credit card debt because many of them have starter credit cards with relatively low spending limits.
But as people reach middle age, debt levels increase. While these people are in their peak earning years, they have more expenses like mortgages and child care expenses.From middle age, the average credit card debt declines. Retirees often have a fixed income. But they've also paid off most major debts and spend their money on everyday expenses.
The average credit card debt for 30 year olds is around $6,600, according to the Experian data report. Compared to people in their 50s, this debt is not so high. According to Experian, people in their 50s have the highest average credit card debt, at around $9,200. This highlights a broader trend: Generation X and millennials aged 30 and above hold the largest share of debt, including credit card debt.
Credit card debt is the balance owed on one or more credit cards. With a credit card debt, the cardholder is required to pay only a portion of the balance each month, while the rest rolls into the next month. That means it is a revolving debt. Every day that goes by with a balance left over on the card will cost the cardholder a certain amount in interest. That's one reason why credit card debt...
The average credit card debt for college students is $3,280, according to College Finance. This debt has become increasingly popular among college students. Plus, according to the College Finance study, it causes the most worry among college students, even more so than student loans.
What you should know about college student credit card debt:
37.6% of college students are behind on their payments while 44.7% of them are only paying their minimum amount.
Avoiding holiday credit card debt can be tough for many people since we tend to spend a lot more than usual during the holiday season. You can ensure you make your holiday credit card payments on time and minimize debt going forward by planning ahead and taking advantage of credit card deals such as 0% interest periods.
The average credit card debt held by Gen X (ages 43-58) is $8,134, according to Q3 2022 data from the credit bureau Experian. One reason Gen X's credit card debt is so high is that money is tight for people in this age group, between paying for things like mortgages and their children's college expenses.
In addition, since people in Gen X have had more credit experience than younger generations, and are likely close...
The average credit card debt held by the silent generation is $3,416, according to Q3 2022 data from the credit bureau Experian. The silent generation (ages 78+) has the second lowest debt level among the five generations studied by Experian, beaten only by Gen Z (11-26 years old).
The average credit card debt held by baby boomers is $6,245, according to Q3 2022 data from the credit bureau Experian. Baby boomers (ages 59-77) have the second highest debt level among all adult generations, behind only Gen X (ages 43-58).
Part of the reason why baby boomers' credit card debt is so high is that many of them have reached retirement age and are now on a fixed income. Many baby boomers also...
The average credit card debt held by Gen Z is $2,854, according to Q3 2022 data from the credit bureau Experian. This is the lowest average for any adult generation, which makes sense considering that people in Gen Z (ages 11-26) have had the least amount of time to rack up credit card debt. It's important to note that the average only reflects members of Gen Z who are 18+ years old and can get...
The average credit card debt held by millennials is $5,649, according to Q3 2022 data from the credit bureau Experian. Millennials (ages 27-42) have a lot of expenses to tackle between mortgages, raising children and finishing paying back student loans, which explains why they rely a lot on credit cards.
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