Wisconsin Watch partners with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. Read our methodology to learn how we check claims.

Americans’ credit card debt totaled $1.07 trillion on Aug. 21, 2024, according to Federal Reserve Bank data — 43% higher than the $746 billion on Jan. 20, 2021.

The debt reached a record $1.14 trillion during the second quarter of 2024.

The Wisconsin Republican Party made the credit card claim in a flyer circulated in August as a criticism of Vice President Kamala Harris.

As a comparison to the previous administration, credit card debt increased 17% from the first quarter of 2017 to the first quarter of 2020 just before the COVID-19 pandemic.

The nonpartisan U.S. Government Accountability Office reported that many people likely paid down balances with federal stimulus payments they received in 2020-21 in response to the pandemic, then card usage increased.

Bankrate, a banking industry publisher, cited near-record credit card interest rates and higher inflation, which led to more credit card use to finance regular spending.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.

Sources

Federal Reserve Bank: Consumer Loans: Credit Cards and Other Revolving Plans, All Commercial Banks

Google Docs: Wisconsin Republican Party Kamala Harris flyer

CNBC: Average consumer now carries $6,329 in credit card debt. ‘People are stretched,’ experts says

Federal Reserve Bank: Household Debt and Credit

Federal Reserve Bank: Three measures of US credit card debt

Federal Reserve Bank: Which U.S. Households Have Credit Card Debt?

U.S. Government Accountability Office: Credit Cards: Pandemic Assistance Likely Helped Reduce Balances, and Credit Terms Varied Among Demographic Groups

Bankrate: Bankrate’s 2024 Credit Card Debt Report