US National Debt by Presidential Term, Percentage of GDP,1976-2008  
   
     National Debt, Total  Gross Domestic Product
Year     % Change Debt
Ending President Current $ (1) YoY During Presid. Avg. Annual Current $ (2) as % of
12/31/1976 FORD  $        653,544,000,000       $1,825,300,000,000 35.8%
12/31/1977 CARTER  $        718,943,000,000 10%   $2,030,900,000,000 35.4%
12/31/1978 CARTER  $        789,207,000,000 10%   $2,294,700,000,000 34.4%
12/31/1979 CARTER  $        845,116,000,000 7%   $2,563,300,000,000 33.0%
12/31/1980 CARTER  $        930,210,000,000 10% 42% 10.6% $2,789,500,000,000 33.3%
12/31/1981 REAGAN  $     1,028,729,000,000 11%   $3,128,400,000,000 32.9%
12/31/1982 REAGAN  $     1,197,073,000,000 16%   $3,255,000,000,000 36.8%
12/31/1983 REAGAN  $     1,410,702,000,000 18%   $3,536,700,000,000 39.9%
12/31/1984 REAGAN  $     1,662,966,000,000 18%   $3,933,200,000,000 42.3%
12/31/1985 REAGAN  $     1,945,912,000,000 17%   $4,220,300,000,000 46.1%
12/31/1986 REAGAN  $     2,214,835,000,000 14%   $4,462,800,000,000 49.6%
12/31/1987 REAGAN  $     2,431,715,000,000 10%   $4,739,500,000,000 51.3%
12/31/1988 REAGAN  $     2,684,392,000,000 10% 189% 23.6% $5,103,800,000,000 52.6%
12/31/1989 BUSH  $     2,952,994,000,000 10%   $5,484,400,000,000 53.8%
12/31/1990 BUSH  $     3,364,820,000,000 14%   $5,803,100,000,000 58.0%
12/31/1991 BUSH  $     3,801,800,000,000 13%   $5,995,900,000,000 63.4%
12/31/1992 BUSH  $     4,177,009,000,000 10% 55.6% 13.9% $6,337,700,000,000 65.9%
12/31/1993 CLINTON  $     4,535,687,054,406 9%   $6,657,400,000,000 68.1%
12/31/1994 CLINTON  $     4,800,149,946,143 6%   $7,072,200,000,000 67.9%
12/31/1995 CLINTON  $     4,988,664,979,014 4%   $7,397,700,000,000 67.4%
12/31/1996 CLINTON  $     5,323,171,750,783 7%   $7,816,900,000,000 68.1%
12/31/1997 CLINTON  $     5,502,388,012,375 3%   $8,304,300,000,000 66.3%
12/31/1998 CLINTON  $     5,614,217,021,195 2%   $8,747,000,000,000 64.2%
12/31/1999 CLINTON  $     5,776,091,314,225 3%   $9,268,400,000,000 62.3%
12/31/2000 CLINTON  $     5,662,216,013,697 -2% 36% 4.4% $9,817,000,000,000 57.7%
12/31/2001 BUSH  $     5,943,438,563,436 5%   $10,128,000,000,000 58.7%
12/31/2002 BUSH  $     6,405,707,456,847 8%   $10,469,600,000,000 61.2%
12/31/2003 BUSH  $     7,001,312,247,818 9%   $10,960,800,000,000 63.9%
12/31/2004 BUSH  $     7,596,165,867,424 8%   $11,685,900,000,000 65.0%
12/30/2005 BUSH  $     8,170,424,541,313 8%     $12,433,900,000,000 65.0%
12/29/2006 BUSH  $     8,680,224,380,086 6%     $13,194,700,000,000 65.7%
12/28/2007 BUSH  $     9,229,172,659,218 6%     $13,927,000,000,000 66.3%
12/31/2008 BUSH  $   10,699,804,864,612 16% 89% 11.1% $13,692,160,000,000 78.1%
12/31/2009 OBAMA  PENDING        ^^ESTIMATED  
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Red text: Trend is worsening. Green text: Trend is improving
US National Debt by Presidential Term, per Capita,1976-2008
    National Debt National Debt, per Capita
Year    Total  Est Debt, % Change Personal Income per Capita Income
Ending President Current $ (1) Population (3) per Capita YoY During Presidency Avg. Annual Current $ (4) Debt as % of Current $ (5) Debt as % of
12/31/1976 FORD  $        653,544,000,000 218,035,164  $    2,997       $5,972 50% $5,271 57%
12/31/1977 CARTER  $        718,943,000,000 220,239,425  $    3,264 8.9%   $6,517 50% $5,785 56%
12/31/1978 CARTER  $        789,207,000,000 222,584,545  $    3,546 8.6%   $7,224 49% $6,455 55%
12/31/1979 CARTER  $        845,116,000,000 225,055,487  $    3,755 5.9%   $7,967 47% $7,168 52%
12/31/1980 CARTER  $        930,210,000,000 227,224,681  $    4,094 9.0% 36.6% 9.1% $8,822 46% $7,787 53%
12/31/1981 REAGAN  $     1,028,729,000,000 229,465,714  $    4,483 9.5%   $9,765 46% $8,476 53%
12/31/1982 REAGAN  $     1,197,073,000,000 231,664,458  $    5,167 15.3%   $10,426 50% $8,980 58%
12/31/1983 REAGAN  $     1,410,702,000,000 233,791,994  $    6,034 16.8%   $11,131 54% $9,494 64%
12/31/1984 REAGAN  $     1,662,966,000,000 235,824,902  $    7,052 16.9%   $12,319 57% $10,328 68%
12/31/1985 REAGAN  $     1,945,912,000,000 237,923,795  $    8,179 16.0%   $13,037 63% $11,013 74%
12/31/1986 REAGAN  $     2,214,835,000,000 240,132,887  $    9,223 12.8%   $13,649 68% $11,670 79%
12/31/1987 REAGAN  $     2,431,715,000,000 242,288,918  $  10,036 8.8%   $14,241 70% $12,391 81%
12/31/1988 REAGAN  $     2,684,392,000,000 244,498,982  $  10,979 9.4% 168% 21.0% $15,297 72% $13,123 84%
12/31/1989 BUSH  $     2,952,994,000,000 246,819,230  $  11,964 9.0%   $16,257 74% $14,056 85%
12/31/1990 BUSH  $     3,364,820,000,000 249,464,396  $  13,488 12.7%   $17,131 79% $14,387 94%
12/31/1991 BUSH  $     3,801,800,000,000 252,153,092  $  15,077 11.8%   $17,609 86% $14,617 103%
12/31/1992 BUSH  $     4,177,009,000,000 255,029,699  $  16,379 8.6% 49.2% 12.3% $18,494 89% $14,847 110%
12/31/1993 CLINTON  $     4,535,687,054,406 257,782,608  $  17,595 7.4%   $18,872 93% $15,777 112%
12/31/1994 CLINTON  $     4,800,149,946,143 260,327,021  $  18,439 4.8%   $19,555 94% $16,555 111%
12/31/1995 CLINTON  $     4,988,664,979,014 262,803,276  $  18,983 2.9%   $23,076 82% $17,227 110%
12/31/1996 CLINTON  $     5,323,171,750,783 265,228,572  $  20,070 5.7%   $21,091 95% $18,136 111%
12/31/1997 CLINTON  $     5,502,388,012,375 267,783,607  $  20,548 2.4%   $21,940 94% $19,241 107%
12/31/1998 CLINTON  $     5,614,217,021,195 270,248,003  $  20,774 1.1%   $23,161 90% $20,120 103%
12/31/1999 CLINTON  $     5,776,091,314,225 272,690,813  $  21,182 2.0%   $23,968 88% $21,239 100%
12/31/2000 CLINTON  $     5,662,216,013,697 282,192,162  $  20,065 -5.3% 22.5% 2.8% $25,472 79% $22,346 90%
12/31/2001 BUSH  $     5,943,438,563,436 285,102,075  $  20,847 3.9%   $26,235 79% $22,851 91%
12/31/2002 BUSH  $     6,405,707,456,847 287,941,220  $  22,247 6.7%   $27,164 82% $22,794 98%
12/31/2003 BUSH  $     7,001,312,247,818 290,788,976  $  24,077 8.2%   $28,039 86% $23,276 103%
12/31/2004 BUSH  $     7,596,165,867,424 293,655,404  $  25,868 7.4%   $29,536 88% $23,857 108%
12/30/2005 BUSH  $     8,170,424,541,313 296,410,414  $  27,565 6.6%     $30,458 91% $25,036 110%
12/28/2006 BUSH  $     8,680,224,380,086 300,897,000  $  28,848 4.7%   $32,561 89% $25,857 112%
12/31/2007 BUSH  $     9,229,172,659,218 301,621,157  $  30,599 6.1%     $34,128 90% $26,178 117%
12/31/2008 BUSH  $   10,699,804,864,612 304,637,369  $  35,123 14.8% 75.0% 9.4% $35,016 100% $26,859 131%
^^ESTIMATED ^^ 3Q 08 ^^ EST
(1) http://www.treasurydirect.gov/NP/BPDLogin?application=np (4) http://www.bea.gov/national/nipaweb/SelectTable.asp?Selected=Y#S2
(2) http://www.bea.gov/national/index.htm#gdp (5) http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/income/income.html
(3) http://www.census.gov/popest/archives/ Table, formatting, page © 2008 PresidentialDebt.org. Rights reserved. 
Red text: Trend is worsening. Green text: Trend is improving Request permission for using/linking: info@presidentialdebt.org