Federal debt as a percent of GDP under Richard Nixon

Federal debt measured against the size of the economy that has to carry it.

Over 1969-01-20 to 1974-08-08, measured in Percent of GDP:

Term average

33.84 Percent of GDP

At the start

34.97 Percent of GDP

At the end

30.86 Percent of GDP

Change

-4.11 Percent of GDP

Low

30.86 Percent of GDP (1974-07-01)

High

35.75 Percent of GDP (1970-10-01)

Coverage

99% (22 observations)

Reading this series over a presidential term

The ratio falls when the economy grows faster than the debt, which can happen through growth, through inflation, or through a shrinking deficit. A term can cut this ratio without cutting a dollar of borrowing.

It uses gross debt, including what the government owes its own trust funds; a ratio built on debt held by the public would be lower and would move differently. Both numerator and denominator are revised.

These are the observed values over the window above, and nothing more. This site does not say which direction is better, and none of this is a claim that Richard Nixon caused the number to move.

What Federal debt as a percent of GDP measures · Richard Nixon: the whole record · Chart it · Compare with another president · The source at FRED