Chart assignment

Charts to read and discuss

Read each chart, then answer its questions. Every chart shows its source and date; open it for a table of the numbers and the data to download.

  1. What interest rate does the US government pay on its debt?

Chart 1 of 1 · Federal budget

What interest rate does the US government pay on its debt?

The interactive chart needs JavaScript. The numbers are on the chart's page.

The average interest rate on all federal debt was 3.53% at the end of fiscal 2026, compared with a low of 1.61% in 2021 and 6.06% in 2001, when this Treasury series begins.

Questions to discuss

  1. In one sentence of your own, what does this chart show?
  2. Find the biggest change or difference in the chart. What might explain it?
  3. Who collected these numbers, and how recent are they? What else would you want to know before drawing a conclusion?

Source: U.S. Treasury Fiscal Data, Average Interest Rates on U.S. Treasury Securities (Public domain (U.S. government work)) · Data as of Sep 30, 2026

Open the chart and its numbers

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