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Markets · August 15, 2026 · 2 min read

New York Fed: Household Debt Edged Down to $18.8 Trillion in Q2 2026

By Econ Data Tools Editorial Team

Published August 15, 2026 • Updated August 21, 2026

The Federal Reserve Bank of New York’s Quarterly Report on Household Debt and Credit said total U.S. household debt decreased by $13 billion, or 0.1%, to $18.8 trillion in the second quarter of 2026.

CONFIRMED FACTS The Federal Reserve Bank of New York’s Household Debt and Credit report states that total U.S. household debt decreased by $13 billion, or 0.1 percent, in the second quarter of 2026, reaching $18.8 trillion at the end of June. The report states that 4.7 percent of outstanding household debt was in some stage of delinquency, which it characterizes as a slight improvement in aggregate delinquency rates. It reports mortgage balances of $13.1 trillion and home-equity lines of credit balances of $459 billion at the end of June. The New York Fed says the report is based on its Consumer Credit Panel, a nationally representative random sample of Equifax credit-report data. Its background materials say the panel is used to calculate national and regional aggregate measures of credit balances and delinquencies by product type. ANALYSIS The quarter’s reported $13 billion decline is small relative to the $18.8 trillion aggregate balance. The figures describe reported balances and delinquency status in the credit-panel data; they do not measure household net worth, income, spending, or the financial condition of every household. UNKNOWNS AND LIMITS The report does not establish why aggregate debt changed, whether the change will continue, or how borrowing will affect consumer spending or the broader economy. Because the data are drawn from credit reports, the measures concern reported credit obligations and do not cover every type of household liability or asset. The reported aggregate delinquency share should not be interpreted as the share of households that are delinquent. UPDATE LOG Published August 15, 2026 after direct review of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York’s current Household Debt and Credit report and its methodology background page. The report covers the second quarter of 2026, ending in June.

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