The US national debt will reach $64 trillion in the next 10 years

Yes, you read that correctly. According to the CBO (Congressional Budget Office), the U.S. national debt is projected to rise from $39 trillion in 2026 to $64 trillion in 2036.

That’s an increase of $25 trillion in just a decade. To understand the magnitude of this number: The government will have to pay an additional approximately $2.4 trillion to $2.5 trillion in debt each year, even without a recession, war, or emergency spending. But what is causing this? FIRST: ANNUAL BUDGET DEFICITS ARE GROWING EVERY YEAR Each year, the U.S. government is expected to spend much more than it earns. The annual budget deficit is projected to increase from about $1.9 trillion in 2026 to around $3.1 trillion in 2036. SECOND: INTEREST COSTS ARE BECOMING ONE OF THE BIGGEST THREATS Because interest rates are currently higher, paying interest on old debt is becoming increasingly expensive. Interest costs are expected to exceed $1 trillion per year immediately… And to surpass $2 trillion per year within a decade. By then, a large portion of tax revenue will be dedicated solely to paying interest on previous borrowings. THIRD: MOST GOVERNMENT SPENDING IS AUTOMATIC AND BASED ON PRE-EXISTING PROGRAMS, NOT ANNUAL DECISIONS Social Security, Medicare, and healthcare costs are automatically rising as the population ages. These programs account for most of the spending growth and are very politically difficult to cut. FOURTH: THE DEBT-TO-GDP RATIO IS BREAKING RECORDS Debt is projected to increase from: • 101% of GDP in 2026 • to 120% in 2036 This figure will surpass the record set after World War II. But unlike the 1940s, this is happening during a period of peaceful economic expansion, not after a global war. And here is the real risk: The U.S. is heading toward a situation where interest costs are rising faster than economic growth. When debt costs increase more rapidly than the economy itself, the system begins to automatically accumulate debt. At that point, debt is no longer just a policy choice but begins to become a structural cycle. Additional borrowing is needed just to fund existing obligations. More interest must be paid on previously accrued interest. And the budget deficit continues to widen even when spending does not increase. This is why forecasts indicating a $64 trillion debt are not just long-term estimates. They signal a fiscal trajectory where debt continues to grow faster than the economic growth supporting it.