A growing number of Americans have more credit-card debt thanAmericans collectively owe more than $1 trillion in credit-card debt u2014Maria LaMagna covers personal finance for MarketWatch in New York.2024 Average Credit Card Debt Statistics in the U.S.BY LEXINGTON LAW 21 JUN '19In quarter four of 2024. America owed a total of $870 billion in credit card debt alone u2024 a 5 percent increase from 2024. When other sources of revolving consumer credit are factored in, Americans owe a total of $1.057 trillion as of March of 2024. The outstanding revolving consumer credit debt is growing at a staggering rate and has surpassed revolving credit owed during the 2024 Great Recession.Luckily, credit card default rates are down from the 6.7 percent peak during the Great Recession, but a large amount of revolving debt is not a good sign for the future. As 48 percent of credit card users make minimum payments on their credit cards and have an amount roll over to the next month, their total credit debt will become hard to pay off.Table of ContentsGeneral Credit Card Debt StatisticsBy AgeBy IncomeBy StateBy HouseholdDelinquency RatesGeneral Credit Card Debt StatisticsAs the total credit card debt continues to rise in America, itu2019s important to note the causes. Fifteen percent of American families are living beyond their means and are spending more than they receive on a monthly basis. Of these families, 43 percent are turning to credit cards and revolving consumer credit borrowing to finance their expenses. As credit cards have a high annual percentage rate, this means many Americans are seeing their debts compound and grow at a staggering rate.Total revolving consumer credit debt reached $1.057 trillion in March of 2024. [Source: Federal Reserve]Credit card debt hit $810 billion in quarter one of 2024. [Source: FRBNY]The average credit card balance was $6,354 in 2024. [Source: Experian]The average VantageScore was 675 in 2024. [Source: Experian]The average FICO score was 704 in 2024. [Source: FICO]15% of families report spending more money than they receive each month. [Source: Federal Reserve]Of the American families that spend more than they receive each month, 43% borrow and use credit cards to finance the shortfall. [Source: Federal Reserve]57% of Americans use credit cards for convenience and do not carry over a balance. [Source: Federal Reserve]Credit Card Debt by AgeWhen looking at credit debt across age groups, we can see that 18- to 22-year-olds carry the least amount of credit card debt, since theyu2019re least likely to have credit cards yet and have the least ability to acquire high-balance credit cards. We can also see that 43- to 47-year-olds carry the highest amount of credit card debt.Chart: Credit Card Debt by Age18u201322: $73823u201327: $1,46928u201332: $2,35633u201337: $3,05038u201342: $3,65943u201347: $4,00048u201352: $3,91053u201357: $3,58658u201362: $3,11663u201367: $2,71168u201372: $2,28273u201377: $1,72777: $962When we consolidate these age groups into generations, we can more clearly see patterns that are unique to each group. Generation X and Baby Boomers tend to carry more average credit card debt than any other generation. This makes sense since these groups have more dependents and a higher disposable income, which leads to higher average monthly expenses.Chart: Credit Card Debt by GenerationGeneration Z: $2,047 average credit card debtGeneration Y: $4,315 average credit card debtGeneration X: $7,750 average credit card debtBaby Boomers: $7,550 average credit card debtSilent Generation: $4,613 average credit card debt[Source: Urban Institute]Credit Card Debt by Income LevelIncome level has a proportional relationship to credit card debt, as the higher income Americans have, the higher average debt they tend to have also. However, though average debt increases as income level increases, the average ratio of debt to income decreases.Chart: Average Credit Card Debt by IncomeIncome less than $24,999 a year: $3,000Income from $25,000 to $44,999 a year: $3,900Income from $45,000 to $69,999 a year: $4,900Income from $70,000 to $114,999 a year: $5,800Income from $115,000 to $159,999 a year: $8,300Income over $160,000 a year: $11,200[Source: The Federal Reserve]Credit Card Debt by StateAverage credit card debt differs between each state. Weu2019ve listed out the average credit card debt for each state. To get a closer look at the country, weu2019ve also broken down which states have the highest and lowest amounts of credit card debt.Alaska: $8,515Alabama: $5,961Arkansas: $5,660Arizona: $6,389California: $6,481Colorado: $6,718Connecticut: $7,258District of Columbia: $6,963Delaware: $6,366Florida: $6,388Georgia: $6,675Hawaii: $6,981Iowa: $5,155Idaho: $5,817Illinois: $6,410Indiana: $5,581Kansas: $6,082Kentucky: $5,555Louisiana: $6,074Massachusetts: $6,327Maryland: $7,043Maine: $5,784Michigan: $5,622Minnesota: $5,911Missouri: $5,897Mississippi: $5,421Montana: $5,845North Carolinat: $6,117North Dakota: $5,511Nebraska: $5,630New Hampshire: $6,490New Jersey: $7,151New Mexico: $6,317Nevada: $6,401New York: $6,671Ohio: $5,843Oklahoma: $6,296Oregon: $6,012Pennsylvania: $6,146Rhode Island: $6,375South Carolina: $6,157South Dakota: $5,692Tennessee: $5,975Texas: $6,902Utah: $5,960Virginia: $7,161Vermont: $5,924Washington: $6,592Wisconsin: $5,363West Virginia: $5,547Wyoming: $6,245[Source: Experian]STATES WITH THE LOWEST AVERAGE CREDIT CARD DEBTEven on a state level, average credit card debt tends to run high, with the lowest amounts averaging $5,000. Iowa has the lowest average credit card debt at $5,155, which is 26 percent less than the national average of $6,354.Iowa: $5,155Wisconsin: $5,363Mississippi: $5,421North Dakota: $5,511West Virginia: $5,547[Source: Experian]STATES WITH THE HIGHEST AVERAGE CREDIT CARD DEBTThe top five states with high average credit card debts each have credit debt averages that are more than 10 percent above the national average. Alaska is the state with the highest average credit card debt, trending 36 percent over the national average.Alaska: $10,091Connecticut: $7,258Virginia: $7,161New Jersey: $7,151Maryland: $7,043[Source: Experian]Average Household Credit Card DebtBy the end of 2024. the typical American had racked up an average debt of $6,040 on their credit cards and the average credit card debt in America had increased 9.5 percent since 2014.43.9% of families hold credit card debt in America in 2024. [Source: Federal Reserve]The average credit card balance in America by the end of 2024 was $6,040. [Source: Experian]The average credit card debt among Americans increased by 9.5% between 2024 and 2024. [Source: Federal Reserve Bank of New York]58% of families reported using credit cards for convenience only. [Source: Federal Reserve]GROWTH OF AVERAGE CREDIT CARD DEBTOver the past four years, the average credit card debt has increased by 9.5 percent, a figure that is significantly lower than the 28 percent increase in total American credit card debt.Chart: Average Credit Card Debt2014: $5,516 average credit card debt.2015: $5,571 average credit card debt.2016: $5,686 average credit card debt.2017: $5,884 average credit card debt.2018: $6,040 average credit card debt.[Source: Experian]Delinquency RatesThe Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis reported that the consumer credit delinquency rate was 2.5 percent in 2024. which was down from the 6.7 percent peak in 2009.The consumer credit delinquency rate reached 2.5% in quarter four of 2024. This is a 44% increase from quarter four in 2024. [Source: FRED]Experts predict a 2.04% national credit card delinquency rate in the United States. [Source: TransUnion]STATES WITH THE HIGHEST CREDIT CARD DELINQUENCY RATESThe states with the highest credit card delinquency have delinquency rates that are more than 16 percent higher than the national average. Mississippi has the highest credit card delinquency rate at 3.14 percent u2024 60 percent higher than the national average.Chart: States with the Highest Credit Card Delinquency RatesMississippi: 3.14%Louisiana: 2.46%Arkansas: 2.41%Georgia: 2.37%West Virginia: 2.28%[Source: TransUnion]STATES WITH THE LOWEST CREDIT CARD DELINQUENCY RATESThe states with the lowest credit debt delinquency have average delinquency rates that are over 64 percent lower than the national average. The state with the lowest delinquency rate in Wisconsin, which is 76.5 percent under the national average.Wisconsin: 1.11%Washington: 1.12%Utah: 1.14%Minnesota: 1.15%Montana: 1.19%[Source: TransUnion]As the countryu2019s credit card debt grows, it is important for American households to focus on safe credit card spending and payment practices. Letting credit card payments roll over on a monthly basis can quickly get out of hand, leading to debt that will grow at a staggering rate. It is acceptable for Americans to have some credit card debt, especially when paying off large purchases, but itu2019s essential to practice good financial habits when borrowing on credit.Especially when using a credit card with a high-interest rate, itu2019s essential to pay off the debt before a large interest percentage kicks in. Credit card debt can decimate both your wallet and your credit score. The higher your utilization (the amount of credit you use compared to the amount of credit you have available), the lower your score. Taking control of your debt is a crucial step in repairing your credit, improving your score and putting yourself in a better position to make big-ticket purchases like a house or a car.What is the average credit card debt? Average credit card debt depends on how you measure it. The average credit card debt is:$1,154 per card that doesnu2019t carry a balance$1,760 per account, U.S. adults with a credit report and Social Security number3$1,901 average balance on store credit cards.2$4,192 per person, U.S. resident adults4$5,554 per cardholder, excluding unused cards and store cards5$5,673 per U.S. adult with a credit card4$6,506 average balance on credit cards at the end of 2024. according to Experian. That is up 2.4 percent, from $6,354 at the end of 2017.2The amount of average credit card debt has been steadily increasing, after dipping in the wake of the Great Recession. Balances have been creeping up since then at a national level, though some states have seen decreases.As to which banks have the biggest credit card debts, here are the losses from the top 4 banks:Big Four U.S. Banks Hit With $12.5B In Credit Card LossesByPYMNTSWhen it comes to credit card debt, American consumers arenu2019t the only ones who are suffering. New results show that the big four U.S. retail banks dealt with an almost 20 percent increase in credit card losses last year.u201cPeople are using their cards to get from paycheck to paycheck,u201d said Charles Peabody, managing director at the Washington-based investment group Compass Point, according to a report in Financial Times. u201cThereu2019s an underlying deterioration in the ability of the consumer to keep up with their debt service burden.u201dLast year, Citigroup, JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America and Wells Fargo suffered a combined $12.5 billion in losses from delinquent credit card loans u2024 around $2 billion more than in 2016.Yet banks are doing their best to lure in new customers, offering air miles, cashback deals and more. Why? Despite the losses, credit cards are still highly profitable, since the issuers earn fees from vendors for every transaction processed, as well as charges to customers who have difficulty keeping up with higher interest rates (usually about 13 percent).With that in mind, financial institutions see a return on credit card assets of almost 4 percent, while only seeing a 1.4 percent return for retail banking.Still, there are concerns about financial institutions getting too wrapped up in the competition of gaining new customers, even if it means signing up less-than-creditworthy consumers.u201cThe driving factor behind the losses is that banks are putting weaker credits on the books,u201d said Brian Riley, a former credit card executive and current director at Mercator Advisory Group.JPMorgan, for example, added $200 million to its reserves for future card losses in the fourth quarter. The company has been targeting millennials with its Sapphire brand of cards.But Marianne Lake, CFO at JPMorgan, said the trend did not reflect a u201cdeterioration. This is seasoning and maturation of the newer vintages, and growth.u201d