Release · 2026-09-22 to 2026-09-22

Total public debt outstanding was $40.112 trillion on September 21

Treasury Fiscal Data's Debt to the Penny listed total public debt outstanding at 40112118151111.92 dollars as of September 21, compared with 40101500516712.09 dollars on September 18. Debt held by the public was 32402191477341.65 dollars, compared with 32401926526743.72 dollars on September 18. Intragovernmental holdings were 7709926673770.27 dollars, compared with 7699573989968.37 dollars on September 18. The one-business-day increase of 10617634399.83 dollars mixed a 0.26 billion dollar rise in debt held by the public with a 10.35 billion dollar rise in intragovernmental holdings.

Total public debt outstanding: $40,112,118,151,111.92 2026-09-21 · prior $40,101,500,516,712.09 (2026-09-18)
Debt held by the public: $32,402,191,477,341.65 2026-09-21 · prior $32,401,926,526,743.72 (2026-09-18)
Intragovernmental holdings: $7,709,926,673,770.27 2026-09-21 · prior $7,699,573,989,968.37 (2026-09-18)

Source: Debt to the Penny, September 21, 2026 — U.S. Department of the Treasury, Bureau of the Fiscal Service. Also: Debt to the Penny, Debt to the Penny API, latest records.

all 3 figures found at the source

found Total public debt outstanding = $40,112,118,151,111.92 — at U.S. Department of the Treasury, Bureau of the Fiscal Service
found Debt held by the public = $32,402,191,477,341.65 — at U.S. Department of the Treasury, Bureau of the Fiscal Service
found Intragovernmental holdings = $7,709,926,673,770.27 — at U.S. Department of the Treasury, Bureau of the Fiscal Service

Researched by Grok, checked against each source by an automated pass, edited by Clem Ziroli III. Published Sep 22, 2026, updated Oct 21, 2026.

This page is one print. The daily brief for September 22, 2026 is the editor's cut of what mattered that day. Figures are as the named sources printed them. The methodology says how this page is made and what is checked.