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US National Debt Tracker
Government & Civic Records
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About
This dataset meticulously tracks official United States debt figures, recorded to the penny, from April 1993 to the present day. It comprises data compiled and structured directly from the U.S. Treasury's official sources. The dataset was conceived amidst recent political debates in the US concerning the debt ceiling, reflecting the increasing polarisation between Democrats and Republicans. It offers valuable insight into the dynamics of US debt, leveraging the Treasury's detailed documentation of federal spending. Key statistics included are debt held by the public, intragovernmental holdings, and total public debt outstanding.
Columns
- DAY: Represents approximately 11,000 data points, corresponding to days from April 1st, 1993, up to the present.
- Debt Held by the Public: This column details the portion of the national debt held by the public.
- Intragovernmental Holdings: This column accounts for government account series, primarily from federal trust funds, revolving funds, and special funds.
- Total Public Debt Outstanding: This column represents the sum of debt held by the public and intragovernmental holdings.
Distribution
- Format: The dataset is provided in a CSV file format, specifically named
US Debt Tracker Dataset (Ver 2.17.23).csv. - Size: The file size is 301.21 kB.
- Structure: The data is presented in a tabular structure, where each new record reflects accumulated data from previous days.
- Records: The dataset contains approximately 11,000 records, covering daily figures from April 1st, 1993, to the present day.
Usage
This dataset is ideal for a variety of applications, including:
- Conducting time series analysis of US national debt trends.
- Supporting academic research and economic modelling related to US fiscal policy.
- Analysing the composition of the national debt, differentiating between public and intragovernmental holdings.
- Informing public discourse and journalistic endeavours concerning governmental spending, debt ceiling discussions, and political economy.
Coverage
- Geographic Scope: The data pertains exclusively to the United States.
- Time Range: The dataset spans from April 1st, 1993, to the present day.
- Specific Notes:
- Dates corresponding to weekends and federal holidays are excluded from the tracker, as the U.S. Treasury's fiscal data does not account for these specific days.
- Daily updates for intragovernmental holdings and total public debt outstanding officially commenced on March 31st, 2005. Prior to this date, from 1997 onwards, these two statistics were only accounted for at the end of each fiscal year.
- The initial dataset was created on 17th February 2023.
License
CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
Who Can Use It
This dataset is valuable for:
- Researchers and economists interested in macroeconomics and public finance.
- Political analysts and journalists tracking governmental fiscal health and policy impacts.
- Students and academics conducting studies on the US economy and national debt.
- Any individuals seeking to gain a deeper understanding of the complexities of US national debt and its political context.
Dataset Name Suggestions
- US National Debt Tracker
- United States Public Debt Trends (1993-Present)
- Daily US Treasury Debt Statistics
- American Fiscal Debt Records
Attributes
Original Data Source: US National Debt Tracker
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