This report provides a snapshot of average American debt through a study of more than 107.3 million Intuit Credit Karma members with a combined overall debt of more than $10.6 trillion. Note it’s not a comprehensive view of debt across the entire U.S. population. Overall debt is defined as any type of debt noted on a Credit Karma member’s credit report. This includes credit card, mortgage, student loan, medical loan, auto lease and auto loan debt.
How much debt does the average American have?
Average overall debt continued to climb in the first half of 2026. Between April and June 2026, average overall debt among Credit Karma members rose to $60,112, a 2.38% increase from October through December 2025. Average debt increased in three of the four major debt categories in Q2 2026, with student loan debt growing the most (6.30%) once again.
Gen Z continues to see the fastest-growing average debt; data points to increased financial hardship
Generation Z again posted the fastest-growing average debt of any generation between the fourth quarter of 2025 and the second quarter of 2026, leading all generations in debt growth for:
- Student loans (10.47%)
- Auto loans (2.98%)
- Mortgage debt (2.64%)
Notably, Gen Z’s average credit card debt was essentially flat (-0.18%), indicating they may be pulling back on card usage as their debt in other categories grows. This generation also saw a slight uptick in average open collections.
Average student loan debt saw the sharpest jump of any category
Average student loan debt picked accelerated, rising 6.3% in the first half of 2026 — an increase nearly equal to the 7.59% year-over-year growth in Q4 2025. Debt among subprime borrowers grew the most: up 9.76% in Q2 2026 from Q4 2025.
Average American debt by age (among Credit Karma members)
| Generation | Average of total debt Oct.–Dec. 2025 | Average of total debt April–June 2026 | Q2 2026 vs. Q4 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Generation Z | $25,062 | $27,048 | 7.9% |
| Millennial | $64,918 | $67,339 | 3.7% |
| Generation X | $70,710 | $71,539 | 1.2% |
| Baby boomers | $56,526 | $56,496 | -0.1% |
| Silent | $43,918 | $43,660 | -0.6% |
Average debt by credit score band (among Credit Karma members)
| Credit score band | Average total debt Oct.-Dec. 2025 | Average total debt April–June 2026 | Q2 2026 vs. Q4 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Subprime (300–600) | $37,919 | $38,977 | 2.8% |
| Near prime (601–660) | $48,671 | $49,045 | 0.8% |
| Prime (661–780) | $65,751 | $66,194 | 0.7% |
| Super prime (781–850) | $81,367 | $82,312 | 1.2% |
How much credit card debt does the average American have?
In the second quarter of 2026, more than 102 million Credit Karma members with at least one credit card held a total of approximately $615.6 billion in credit card debt, up 4.5% from about $589 billion in Q4 2025. Average credit card debt fell to $7,685 in Q2 2026, down 2.30% from $7,866 in Q4 2025 — the only debt category with a decline in the first half of the year.
Average credit card debt by age (among Credit Karma members)
| Generation | Average credit card debt Oct.–Dec. 2025 | Average credit card debt April–June 2026 | Q2 2026 vs. Q4 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Generation Z | $3,982 | $3,975 | -0.18% |
| Millennial | $7,895 | $7,735 | -2.03% |
| Generation X | $10,354 | $10,129 | -2.17% |
| Baby boomers | $8,300 | $8,035 | -3.19% |
| Silent | $5,531 | $5,351 | -3.25% |
Average credit card debt by credit score band (among Credit Karma members)
| Credit score band | Average credit card debt Oct.-Dec. 2025 | Average credit card debt April–June 2026 | Q2 2026 vs. Q4 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Subprime (300–600) | $7,462 | $7,223 | -3.20% |
| Near prime (601–660) | $11,643 | $11,501 | -1.22% |
| Prime (661–780) | $8,529 | $8,498 | -0.36% |
| Super prime (781–850) | $3,836 | $3,740 | -2.50% |
Average auto loan debt in America
In the second quarter of 2026, nearly 74 million Credit Karma members with at least one auto loan open held more than $1 trillion in loan debt. The average auto loan balance among members rose to $26,359 in Q2 2026, a 2.14% increase from $25,806 in Q4 2025.
Average auto loan debt by age (among Credit Karma members)
| Generation | Average auto loan debt Oct.–Dec. 2025 | Average auto loan debt April–June 2026 | Q2 2026 vs. Q4 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Generation Z | $21,871 | $22,522 | 2.98% |
| Millennial | $26,124 | $26,820 | 2.66% |
| Generation X | $28,606 | $29,073 | 1.63% |
| Baby boomers | $23,997 | $24,368 | 1.55% |
| Silent | $19,645 | $20,037 | 2.00% |
Average auto loan debt by credit score band (among Credit Karma members)
| Credit score band | Average auto loan debt Oct.–Dec. 2025 | Average auto loan debt April–June 2026 | Q2 2026 vs. Q4 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Subprime (300–600) | $24,222 | $24,653 | 1.78% |
| Near prime (601–660) | $26,430 | $26,946 | 1.95% |
| Prime (661–780) | $27,385 | $27,996 | 2.23% |
| Super prime (781–850) | $24,128 | $24,808 | 2.82% |
Average mortgage debt in America
From April through June 2026, nearly 40 million Credit Karma members with at least one mortgage held a total of more than $8.09 trillion in mortgage debt. The average mortgage balance among members rose to $274,987 in Q2 2026, a modest 0.96% increase from $272,382 in Q4 2025. This represents the smallest increase across the four debt categories.
Average mortgage debt by age (among Credit Karma members)
| Generation | Average mortgage debt Oct.–Dec. 2025 | Average mortgage debt April–June 2026 | Q2 2026 vs. Q4 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Generation Z | $256,265 | $263,029 | 2.64% |
| Millennial | $311,526 | $316,081 | 1.46% |
| Generation X | $266,309 | $267,558 | 0.47% |
| Baby boomers | $201,663 | $201,955 | 0.14% |
| Silent | $176,324 | $175,392 | -0.53% |
Average mortgage debt by credit score band (among Credit Karma members)
| Credit score band | Average mortgage debt Oct.–Dec. 2025 | Average mortgage debt April–June 2026 | Q2 2026 vs. Q4 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Subprime (300–600) | $234,001 | $236,861 | 1.22% |
| Near prime (601–660) | $248,797 | $250,076 | 0.51% |
| Prime (661–780) | $289,416 | $290,443 | 0.35% |
| Super prime (781–850) | $278,892 | $282,933 | 1.45% |
What is the average student loan debt?
Nearly 34 million Credit Karma members with at least one student loan open held a total of more than $825.6 billion in student loan debt in the second quarter of 2026. The average student loan balance among Credit Karma members rose to $36,217 in the first half of the year — up 6.30% from $34,072 in Q4 2025. This represents the largest increase across the four debt categories, driven in large part by Gen Z (up 10.47% in Q2 vs. Q4).
Average student loan debt by age (among Credit Karma members)
| Generation | Average student loan debt Oct.–Dec. 2025 | Average student loan debt April–June 2026 | Q2 2026 vs. Q4 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Generation Z | $19,837 | $21,914 | 10.47% |
| Millennial | $34,435 | $36,712 | 6.61% |
| Generation X | $46,959 | $49,457 | 5.32% |
| Baby boomers | $48,965 | $50,474 | 3.08% |
| Silent | $39,726 | $40,098 | 0.94% |
Average student loan debt by credit score band (among Credit Karma members)
| Credit score band | Average student loan debt Oct.–Dec. 2025 | Average student loan debt April–June 2026 | Q2 2026 vs. Q4 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Subprime (300–600) | $30,099 | $33,036 | 9.76% |
| Near prime (601–660) | $35,768 | $37,280 | 4.23% |
| Prime (661–780) | $37,077 | $38,464 | 3.74% |
| Super prime (781–850) | $35,631 | $36,502 | 2.44% |
What is the average credit score?
The average VantageScore 3.0 credit score for Credit Karma members with debt rose to 676 in the first half of 2026, up three points from 673 in Q4 2025 — a reversal of the year-over-year decline in Q4 2025. Average scores rose for every generation except the Silent generation, which slipped one point.
Average credit score by age
The following details the average VantageScore 3.0 score among Credit Karma members with debt.
| Generation | Average credit score Oct.–Dec. 2025 | Average credit score April–June 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Generation Z | 651 | 655 | 4 pts |
| Millennial | 665 | 670 | 5 pts |
| Generation X | 672 | 676 | 4 pts |
| Baby boomers | 714 | 716 | 2 pts |
| Silent | 735 | 734 | -1 pt |
Accounts in collections
Among Credit Karma members with accounts in collections, the average number of open accounts remained relatively flat, with slight increases for the younger generations and members in the prime score band.
For this report, accounts in collections are any credit card, mortgage, student loan, medical loan, auto lease or auto loan accounts that have been sent to collections agencies, according to members’ credit reports. Creditors may have different standards for when they transfer debt to collections, but the typical cutoff is 120 to 150 days past due. For this report, we’re able to determine if an account is in collections but not how many days past due it is.
Keep in mind that this measure only looks at members who have open accounts in collections, not the Credit Karma member population as a whole. That means that it only captures people who are already potentially struggling with their finances.
Average number of accounts in collections among Credit Karma members by generation
| Generation | Average number of accounts in collections Oct.-Dec. 2025 | Average number of accounts in collections April–June 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Generation Z | 2.0 | 2.1 |
| Millennial | 2.5 | 2.6 |
| Generation X | 2.7 | 2.8 |
| Baby boomers | 2.4 | 2.4 |
| Silent | 2.0 | 2.0 |
Average number of accounts in collections by VantageScore 3.0 credit score band
| Credit score band | Average number of accounts in collections Oct.–Dec. 2025 | Average number of accounts in collections April–June 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Subprime (300–600) | 2.9 | 2.9 |
| Near prime (601–660) | 2.2 | 2.2 |
| Prime (661–780) | 1.3 | 1.4 |
| Super prime (781–850) | 0.9 | 0.9 |
Average credit inquiries
For this report, credit inquiries are applications for new credit, such as credit cards or loans. In the second quarter of 2026, average inquiries fell slightly or remained flat across generations and score bands, continuing a years-plus trend that suggests Americans are pulling back on new credit applications as they manage rising debt and an uptick in collections.
Average number of credit inquiries among Credit Karma members by generation
| Generation | Average number of inquiries Oct.–Dec. 2025 | Average number of inquiries April–June 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Generation Z | 2.7 | 2.7 |
| Millennial | 3.0 | 2.9 |
| Generation X | 3.3 | 3.2 |
| Baby boomers | 3.1 | 3.0 |
| Silent | 2.6 | 2.6 |
Average number of credit inquiries among Credit Karma members by VantageScore 3.0 credit score band
| Credit score band | Average number of inquiries Oct.–Dec. 2025 | Average number of inquiries April–June 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Subprime (300–600) | 4.3 | 4.3 |
| Near prime (601–660) | 3.5 | 3.5 |
| Prime (661–780) | 2.7 | 2.7 |
| Super prime (781–850) | 1.9 | 1.9 |
Methodology
This report drew on insights from the aggregated reports of roughly 107.4 million Credit Karma users. All aggregate data analyzed was pulled on July 13, 2026, and came from members’ TransUnion credit reports. Averages were based on information from the previous 90 days.