History of Debt per Citizen
Using a combination of information from the U.S. Department of Treasury and the U.S. Census Bureau, MAD calculated national debt per citizen. Utilizing an inflation calculator, MAD also figured the national debt per citizen as adjusted for inflation through 2009. Even adjusted for inflation, our national debt increased dramatically during the 20th century. Since 1980, it has exploded.
| Year | Debt/citizen | Inflation/2009 |
| 1800 | $15.50 | $193.03 |
| 1850 | $2.75 | $70.05 |
| 1870 | $64.85 | $1,086.87 |
| 1900 | $27.60 | $702.33 |
| 1950 | $1,595.00 | $14,060.22 |
| 1970 | $1,739.00 | $9,501.75 |
| 1980 | $3,837.00 | $9,861.00 |
| 1990 | $12,498.00 | $20,256.26 |
| 2000 | $19,470.66 | $24,018.34 |
| 2010 | $41,930.00 | $41,930.00 |
[...] History of debt per citizen [...]
May 17th, 2010 at 2:30 amThat’s a ridiculous table. It doesn’t account for economic growth.
May 17th, 2010 at 2:56 pm[...] History of Debt per Citizen [...]
July 29th, 2010 at 11:23 am