Federal borrowing pace over 365 days: $6.47 billion per day, GENM-calculated

Total public debt outstanding was $40.24 trillion on October 2, 2026, according to Treasury's Debt to the Penny. This article reviews the week of September 28, 2026 and the borrowing, debt limit and cash figures that go with it.

What changed this week

Total public debt outstanding was $40.24 trillion on October 2, 2026. One week earlier, on September 25, 2026, it was $40.10 trillion. It rose $145.27 billion between those two record dates, a GENM-calculated 0.36%.

Debt held by the public was $32.43 trillion on October 2, 2026. On September 25, 2026, it was $32.39 trillion. It rose $43.04 billion between the two dates.

Intragovernmental holdings were $7.81 trillion on October 2, 2026. On September 25, 2026, they were $7.71 trillion. They rose $102.23 billion between the two dates.

Borrowing pace and the debt limit

GENM calculates the borrowing pace as the average change per calendar day over each trailing window, using Treasury's total public debt outstanding. The record date is October 2, 2026.

The trailing 365-day pace was $6.47 billion per day. That window began October 2, 2025. Over that window, the total rose $2.36 trillion.

The following paces are context only. The pace over the last 7 days was $20.75 billion per day. The pace over the last 30 days was $4.18 billion per day. The pace over the last 90 days was $9.52 billion per day.

GENM compared the current 30-day pace with every trailing 30-day pace since October 3, 2023. The current pace sits at the 36th percentile, which is within the normal range. That range runs from $62.11 million to $14.83 billion per day, with a median of $6.22 billion per day. Debt limit periods, when borrowing is held flat, are included and widen the range.

The debt limit is in effect. On October 2, 2026, debt subject to the limit was $40.04 trillion, per Treasury's Daily Treasury Statement. The statutory limit, a Treasury figure, was $41.10 trillion. GENM-calculated headroom was $1.06 trillion, or 2.58% of the limit.

GENM projects debt subject to the limit would reach the current statutory limit on March 23, 2027. This assumes it kept rising at its trailing 365-day pace of $6.2 billion per day, the average daily change from October 2, 2025 to October 2, 2026. The count runs in calendar days from October 2, 2026. It is not an X-date estimate, does not model extraordinary measures, and assumes the limit stays at its current level.

Treasury's cash balance

Treasury's operating cash balance was $871.18 billion on October 2, 2026. It fell $22.52 billion on the latest day. On September 25, 2026, it was $945.29 billion.

Over the one-year range beginning October 2, 2025, the low was $686.97 billion on April 9, 2026. The high was $1.04 trillion on April 20, 2026.

Milestones

The last whole trillion reached was $40 trillion. Its first Debt to the Penny record date was August 18, 2026.

GENM projects total public debt outstanding would pass $41 trillion on January 28, 2027. That would leave $757.55 billion to go from October 2, 2026.

GENM projects it would pass $42 trillion on July 1, 2027. That would leave $1.76 trillion to go from October 2, 2026.

Both projections assume the trailing 365-day pace of $6.47 billion per day continued, counted in calendar days from October 2, 2026. They also assume the debt limit is raised as needed. They are not Treasury figures and not forecasts.

What Treasury publishes next

• Debt to the Penny: next publication date October 7, 2026.
• Daily Treasury Statement: next publication date October 7, 2026.

Source: U.S. Department of the Treasury, Fiscal Data: Debt to the Penny (latest record date October 2, 2026) and Daily Treasury Statement (latest record date October 2, 2026).

All figures in this article come from the U.S. Department of the Treasury's published data and GENM calculations from that data. GENM-calculated values and projections are labeled as such and are not 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 and the Debt Sphere.

GENM projections are illustrations based on stated assumptions, not forecasts, and not financial or investment advice.