Average household debt grew by 7.3 per cent to $261,492 in 2021-22, according to the latest figures from
Average American household debt statistics
The average American holds a debt balance of $96,371, according to 2021 Experian data, the latest data available.
Here's the average debt balances by age group: Gen Z (ages 18 to 23): $9,593. Millennials (ages 24 to 39): $78,396. Gen X (ages 40 to 55): $135,841.
At Way Forward as of July 2021, across our 559 clients the average credit card debt is A$37,429 spread across almost four different credit cards per client. The highest credit card debt for one person is over A$252,000. While balances overall are reducing, some people are constantly at the limit of their credit cards.
Household Income and Wealth, Australia
Three in four (75%) households had debt in 2019–20.
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the median salary in Australia in August 2022 was $65,000. So out of over 14 million people employed in Australia, this is what we'd call a “typical” salary.
Running up $50,000 in credit card debt is not impossible. About two million Americans do it every year.
In the U.S. News survey, 15 percent of respondents reported card balances of $10,000 or more. At current interest rates, a five-figure credit-card balance can cripple a household budget.
Many people would likely say $30,000 is a considerable amount of money. Paying off that much debt may feel overwhelming, but it is possible. With careful planning and calculated actions, you can slowly work toward paying off your debt. Follow these steps to get started on your debt-payoff journey.
“That's because the best balance transfer and personal loan terms are reserved for people with strong credit scores. $20,000 is a lot of credit card debt and it sounds like you're having trouble making progress,” says Rossman.
People between the ages of 35 to 44 typically carry the highest amount of debt, as a result of spending on mortgages and student loans. Debt eases for those between the ages of 45-54 thanks to higher salaries.
Lots of people have credit card debt, and the average balance in the U.S. is $6,194. About 52% of Americans owe $2,500 or less on their credit cards. If you're looking at $5,000 or higher, you should really get motivated to knock out that debt quickly.
High Debt-to-Income Ratio
Your debt-to-income ratio measures the amount of debt you have against your income. If you have a debt-to-income ratio near or more than 40%, this is a sign that you may have a debt problem.
While the average age borrowers expect to pay off their mortgage is 59, the number of survey participants who have no idea when they will pay it off at all stood at 16%. In 2019, 9% of those asked didn't know and in 2020, 11% gave this answer.
If your total balance is more than 30% of the total credit limit, you may be in too much debt. Some experts consider it best to keep credit utilization between 1% and 10%, while anything between 11% and 30% is typically considered good.
How much debt does the average American have? The same 2021 study from Experian shows that the average American has a consumer debt balance of $96,371, up 3.9% from 2020.
Now that we've defined debt-to-income ratio, let's figure out what yours means. Generally speaking, a good debt-to-income ratio is anything less than or equal to 36%. Meanwhile, any ratio above 43% is considered too high. The biggest piece of your DTI ratio pie is bound to be your monthly mortgage payment.
Credit card debt overall is at a historic high. In the last three months of 2022, credit card balances in the U.S. rose from $61 billion to nearly $990 billion according to the Federal Reserve Bank in New York. It's likely to surpass $1 trillion this year.
Credit cards are another example of a type of debt that generally doesn't have forgiveness options. Credit card debt forgiveness is unlikely as credit card issuers tend to expect you to repay the money you borrow, and if you don't repay that money, your debt can end up in collections.
So if you're on $100k or more, congratulations, you're in the top 20% of Aussie income earners. If not, don't worry, you're in the good company of 80% of Aussies.
The increase means the amount of money you need to be part of Australia's top echelon of wealth ($US5. 5 million) is now the third highest among the countries and territories covered by global property consultancy Knight Frank's Wealth Report 2023, behind Monaco at $US12. 4 million and Switzerland at $US6. 6 million.
What is a good salary in Australia? A full-time job that pays between $90,000 and $108,000 a year or $7,500 to $9,000 before tax a month is considered above average in Australia.