The US government runs annual deficits to fund spending in excess of revenue. Over the past 20 years, the deficit (held by the public) has ranged from $206 billion (fy 2006) to $4,210 billion (fy 2019). The total public debt accumulated in that 20 year period exceeds $25.6 trillion. As a comparison, the GDP of the US grew by $16.259 trillion in the same time period ($13.039 trillion in fy 2005, $29.298 trillion in fy 2024).