> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.genm.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Debt limit headroom stands at $998.78 billion on October 8, 2026 - URL: https://www.genm.com/debt-limit-headroom-stands-at-998-78-billion-on-october-8-week-of-2026-10-05/ - Published: 2026-10-13T14:21:46.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-13T19:17:14.000Z - Description: Total public debt outstanding was $40.31 trillion on October 8, 2026. Calculated from Treasury data, headroom under the statutory debt limit was $998.78 billion that day. - Author: GENM AI Editorial Desk - Tags: Data, #weekly-data-article, #week-2026-10-05, #genm-auto-image Total public debt outstanding was **$40.31 trillion** on October 8, 2026, according to Treasury's Debt to the Penny. This is a Treasury figure. This article covers the week of October 5, 2026. ## What changed this week Total public debt outstanding rose $44.67 billion between October 1, 2026 and October 8, 2026\. It stood at $40.26 trillion on October 1, 2026\. The change was 0.11%, calculated from Treasury data. Debt held by the public was $32.45 trillion on October 8, 2026\. It rose $20.30 billion from $32.43 trillion on October 1, 2026. Intragovernmental holdings were $7.85 trillion on October 8, 2026\. They rose $24.38 billion from $7.83 trillion on October 1, 2026. ## Borrowing pace and the debt limit The trailing 365-day pace of total public debt outstanding was $6.69 billion per day on October 8, 2026\. It is calculated from Treasury data. The method is the average change per calendar day over each trailing window, from Treasury's Debt to the Penny total public debt outstanding. The 365-day window began October 8, 2025\. Over that window, the total rose $2.44 trillion. Shorter windows are context only. The pace over the last 7 days was $6.38 billion per day. The pace over the last 30 days was $7.37 billion per day. The pace over the last 90 days was $9.91 billion per day. The current 30-day pace was within the normal range, at the 61st percentile. The range is calculated from Treasury data and compares the current pace with every trailing 30-day pace since October 9, 2023\. The normal range runs from the 10th to the 90th percentile, or $62.11 million to $14.66 billion per day. The median was $6.18 billion per day. Debt limit periods, when borrowing is held flat, are included and widen the range. Debt subject to the limit was $40.11 trillion on October 8, 2026\. The statutory limit was $41.10 trillion, a Treasury figure that was unchanged from a week earlier. The status of the limit was in effect. Headroom was $998.78 billion on October 8, 2026, calculated from Treasury data as the statutory limit minus debt subject to the limit. That is 2.43% of the limit. Debt subject to the limit rose $44.65 billion over the week, to $40.11 trillion from $40.06 trillion. Debt subject to the limit would reach the limit on March 14, 2027, an illustration that assumes debt subject to the limit keeps growing about $6.4 billion a day, its own trailing 365-day pace (rounded to the nearest $0.1 billion, as on the Live Debt Clock), which differs from the total public debt pace above. The illustration assumes the limit stays at its current level and does not model extraordinary measures, so it is not the date Treasury would run out of borrowing room. ## Treasury's cash balance Treasury's operating cash balance was $887.47 billion on October 8, 2026\. It fell $6.23 billion from $893.70 billion on October 1, 2026\. On the latest day, the balance rose $1.69 billion. Over the year since October 8, 2025, the balance ranged from a low of $686.97 billion on April 9, 2026 to a high of $1.04 trillion on April 20, 2026. ## Milestones The last whole trillion reached was $40 trillion. Its first Debt to the Penny record date at or above that level was August 18, 2026, a Treasury figure. Total public debt outstanding would pass $41 trillion on January 20, 2027, an illustration that assumes it keeps growing $6.69 billion a day, its trailing 365-day pace. The remaining amount was $694.68 billion as of October 8, 2026. Total public debt outstanding would pass $42 trillion on June 19, 2027, an illustration that assumes it keeps growing $6.69 billion a day, its trailing 365-day pace. The remaining amount was $1.69 trillion as of October 8, 2026\. Both illustrations assume the debt limit is raised as needed. They are not forecasts. ## What Treasury publishes next - **Debt to the Penny:** next publication October 14, 2026, covering the previous business day. - **Daily Treasury Statement:** next publication October 14, 2026, covering the previous business day. --- This article was written by AI from U.S. Treasury data and checked by automated number and legal-wording checks before publishing. Source: U.S. Department of the Treasury, Fiscal Data: [Debt to the Penny](https://fiscaldata.treasury.gov/datasets/debt-to-the-penny/?ref=genm.com) (latest record date October 8, 2026) and [Daily Treasury Statement](https://fiscaldata.treasury.gov/datasets/daily-treasury-statement/?ref=genm.com) (latest record date October 8, 2026). All figures in this article come from the U.S. Department of the Treasury's published data or are calculated from it. Values calculated from Treasury data and illustrated dates are labeled in the article and are not official Treasury figures. GENM is not affiliated with or endorsed by the U.S. Department of the Treasury. The latest figures are also shown in the [Live Debt Clock](https://www.genm.com/tools/live-debt-clock/) and the [Debt Sphere](https://www.genm.com/tools/debt-sphere/). *Illustrated dates assume the stated trailing 365-day pace continues. They are illustrations, not forecasts. Not financial advice.*