US Credit Card Delinquencies Hit 13% on $1.25 Trillion Balances, Highest Since 2011
Updated
Updated · USA TODAY · Jun 12
US Credit Card Delinquencies Hit 13% on $1.25 Trillion Balances, Highest Since 2011
2 articles · Updated · USA TODAY · Jun 12
Summary
About 13% of US credit card balances were at least 90 days delinquent in Q1 2026, up from 12.3% a year earlier and nearing the 13.7% peak reached in early 2010.
A $1.25 trillion national card balance and still-high borrowing costs are driving the strain: average card rates were 21% in February 2026 after peaking at 21.8% in 2024, while inflation has kept household budgets tight.
Experts say the problem is concentrated among a smaller group of already-distressed borrowers falling deeper behind, even as roughly half of cardholders still pay balances in full each month.
Auto loans show similar stress, with 90-day delinquencies at a record 5.6%, but analysts say mortgage trouble remains far below Great Recession levels and the current consumer debt squeeze does not resemble 2008.