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How close did US debt come to its ceiling in 2008?

In 2008, through , room under the debt limit was lowest on , at $338.76 billion.

The debt limit in 2008 at a glance

The debt limit in 2008
MeasureValue
Statement days held252
Lowest room left ($ million)338,762
Day of the lowest room
Near the limit: room under this amount ($ million)1,000
Statement days near the limit0
Statement days with the limit suspended0

Room left under the limit in 2008

$ trillion

Room left under the limit in 20080.00.51.01.52 January 200831 December 2008Room left under the limit in 20080.00.51.01.52 January 200831 December 2008

Source: U.S. Treasury, Fiscal Data, Daily Treasury Statement, Table IIIC. Observed .

How much room was left at the end of each month of 2008?

Last statement day of each month ($ million)
MonthDateSubject to the limitLimitRoom leftCash balance
January 20089,155,8429,815,000659,1585,773
February 20089,275,6839,815,000539,3174,424
March 20089,358,1369,815,000456,8645,552
April 20089,298,5679,815,000516,4334,955
May 20089,324,0049,815,000490,9964,620
June 20089,427,9019,815,000387,0994,978
July 20089,520,22110,615,0001,094,7795,256
August 20089,580,50710,615,0001,034,4934,681
September 20089,959,85010,615,000655,15032,988
October 200810,504,70211,315,000810,29843,998
November 200810,595,72411,315,000719,27666,385
December 200810,640,27311,315,000674,727106,123

The table scrolls sideways; the first column stays in place.

When did the limit change in 2008?

Changes in the statutory limit ($ million; a dash means suspended)
First statement dayLimit beforeLimit after
9,815,00010,615,000
10,615,00011,315,000

Every statement day

Each Daily Treasury Statement of 2008 ($ million)
DateSubject to the limitLimitRoom leftCash balance
10,640,27311,315,000674,727106,123
10,489,20611,315,000825,794112,203
10,490,28311,315,000824,717115,724
10,488,76211,315,000826,238115,831
10,522,44411,315,000792,556118,058
10,537,56511,315,000777,435123,782
10,503,15911,315,000811,841132,738
10,533,73111,315,000781,269126,586
10,533,94011,315,000781,060127,195
10,591,13611,315,000723,864120,443
Show 242 more rows
DateSubject to the limitLimitRoom leftCash balance
10,566,06411,315,000748,936125,252
10,591,04211,315,000723,958122,021
10,532,30511,315,000782,69546,964
10,533,05611,315,000781,94448,819
10,583,64211,315,000731,35841,646
10,591,25211,315,000723,74847,707
10,588,99211,315,000726,00852,080
10,588,11811,315,000726,88249,761
10,588,65911,315,000726,34155,986
10,610,70211,315,000704,29857,345
10,619,86311,315,000695,13777,800
10,615,75911,315,000699,24175,691
10,595,72411,315,000719,27666,385
10,579,16311,315,000735,83717,355
10,589,53011,315,000725,47024,054
10,585,35911,315,000729,64168,933
10,586,34511,315,000728,65583,394
10,586,25711,315,000728,74391,193
10,583,40611,315,000731,59468,457
10,591,41811,315,000723,58274,265
10,549,65211,315,000765,34846,608
10,548,34311,315,000766,65758,338
10,509,29911,315,000805,70158,912
10,549,24911,315,000765,75152,985
10,552,80811,315,000762,19260,354
10,552,51511,315,000762,48563,322
10,555,24011,315,000759,76068,773
10,497,87611,315,000817,12418,652
10,497,07211,315,000817,92819,041
10,487,02311,315,000827,97725,419
10,504,70211,315,000810,29843,998
10,463,21811,315,000851,78227,494
10,459,35211,315,000855,64819,484
10,460,16811,315,000854,83220,589
10,457,80911,315,000857,191132,693
10,456,77311,315,000858,227131,905
10,456,85011,315,000858,150136,672
10,429,62311,315,000885,37755,625
10,401,61611,315,000913,38432,602
10,399,03711,315,000915,96339,452
10,268,83211,315,0001,046,1688,064
10,265,69211,315,0001,049,30810,293
10,260,75611,315,0001,054,24423,983
10,229,03111,315,0001,085,9693,987
10,228,70811,315,0001,086,2924,648
10,200,70011,315,0001,114,3004,804
10,179,74011,315,0001,135,2605,544
10,158,75011,315,0001,156,2506,095
10,122,20811,315,0001,192,7924,894
10,120,50211,315,0001,194,49811,101
10,082,96410,615,000532,0365,535
10,059,39810,615,000555,6025,278
9,959,85010,615,000655,15032,988
9,879,94710,615,000735,0535,464
9,823,64310,615,000791,3573,899
9,783,66310,615,000831,3374,976
9,723,17310,615,000891,8275,175
9,726,59510,615,000888,4054,535
9,720,82410,615,000894,1764,428
9,661,94110,615,000953,0595,378
9,599,51610,615,0001,015,4845,345
9,582,27110,615,0001,032,7295,512
9,574,84910,615,0001,040,1515,440
9,569,07910,615,0001,045,9215,069
9,618,10210,615,000996,8984,798
9,616,83110,615,000998,1694,175
9,619,82310,615,000995,1775,412
9,627,72510,615,000987,2755,127
9,603,74510,615,0001,011,2554,570
9,604,49410,615,0001,010,5064,434
9,602,82110,615,0001,012,1794,649
9,602,63410,615,0001,012,3665,606
9,602,72110,615,0001,012,2794,029
9,580,50710,615,0001,034,4934,681
9,583,94710,615,0001,031,0534,863
9,563,21110,615,0001,051,7894,989
9,569,99310,615,0001,045,0074,682
9,555,83410,615,0001,059,1664,847
9,552,83310,615,0001,062,1674,761
9,552,67610,615,0001,062,3244,993
9,542,74810,615,0001,072,2525,177
9,549,07810,615,0001,065,9225,658
9,542,56710,615,0001,072,4334,695
9,541,23710,615,0001,073,7634,275
9,527,58510,615,0001,087,4155,004
9,533,48210,615,0001,081,5184,715
9,514,14110,615,0001,100,8594,873
9,509,87810,615,0001,105,1224,422
9,507,96210,615,0001,107,0384,949
9,505,87810,615,0001,109,1225,156
9,503,93410,615,0001,111,0664,798
9,504,38710,615,0001,110,6134,789
9,499,68010,615,0001,115,3204,824
9,491,37510,615,0001,123,6254,831
9,520,22110,615,0001,094,7795,256
9,468,39710,615,0001,146,6034,271
9,473,3899,815,000341,6114,848
9,473,2329,815,000341,7684,658
9,476,2389,815,000338,7625,407
9,475,6479,815,000339,3535,660
9,462,3699,815,000352,6316,720
9,468,5169,815,000346,4844,853
9,456,0009,815,000359,0005,696
9,453,7159,815,000361,2855,220
9,453,3549,815,000361,6464,999
9,440,4279,815,000374,5734,036
9,445,3869,815,000369,6144,756
9,434,0959,815,000380,9054,024
9,436,8389,815,000378,1625,148
9,437,9929,815,000377,0084,718
9,428,8449,815,000386,1564,355
9,435,3959,815,000379,6055,282
9,429,1169,815,000385,8845,144
9,427,5429,815,000387,4585,370
9,409,0809,815,000405,9204,139
9,403,4739,815,000411,5274,954
9,427,9019,815,000387,0994,978
9,298,9289,815,000516,0725,472
9,303,9199,815,000511,0814,805
9,306,3169,815,000508,6844,208
9,314,6049,815,000500,3964,529
9,308,5589,815,000506,4425,562
9,305,8379,815,000509,1635,560
9,305,3119,815,000509,6894,514
9,327,4869,815,000487,5144,172
9,331,9559,815,000483,0454,763
9,322,0559,815,000492,9457,413
9,350,6049,815,000464,3964,555
9,350,4449,815,000464,5564,472
9,363,6539,815,000451,3474,369
9,346,8409,815,000468,1605,166
9,342,4249,815,000472,5764,167
9,340,7509,815,000474,2504,933
9,342,4399,815,000472,5615,439
9,331,4079,815,000483,5935,278
9,330,9109,815,000484,0905,367
9,331,8079,815,000483,1935,217
9,324,0049,815,000490,9964,620
9,311,6789,815,000503,3224,188
9,311,4219,815,000503,5794,415
9,313,9769,815,000501,0245,177
9,314,3499,815,000500,6515,042
9,312,9949,815,000502,0064,825
9,294,1049,815,000520,8964,420
9,299,7519,815,000515,2494,797
9,277,4479,815,000537,5534,526
9,273,0449,815,000541,9564,691
9,272,6119,815,000542,3892,973
9,285,3969,815,000529,6044,020
9,291,5179,815,000523,4835,409
9,287,2019,815,000527,7994,874
9,285,7539,815,000529,2474,693
9,285,2489,815,000529,7524,218
9,280,4139,815,000534,5875,730
9,278,6269,815,000536,3746,342
9,272,9419,815,000542,0594,133
9,267,8359,815,000547,1655,288
9,267,2399,815,000547,7614,270
9,298,5679,815,000516,4334,955
9,260,2489,815,000554,7527,417
9,259,6489,815,000555,3526,299
9,256,8919,815,000558,1095,170
9,255,0589,815,000559,9425,867
9,263,5779,815,000551,4235,570
9,263,0149,815,000551,9864,519
9,276,3789,815,000538,6226,351
9,293,7219,815,000521,2795,294
9,289,4889,815,000525,5125,737
9,322,0269,815,000492,9744,614
9,330,3079,815,000484,6936,600
9,365,5589,815,000449,4425,545
9,363,6699,815,000451,3313,919
9,363,5379,815,000451,4634,698
9,358,3779,815,000456,6233,437
9,367,0919,815,000447,9095,355
9,362,0519,815,000452,9496,263
9,359,1109,815,000455,8905,759
9,357,9419,815,000457,0593,558
9,375,4109,815,000439,5906,013
9,367,1539,815,000447,8476,613
9,358,1369,815,000456,8645,552
9,327,2849,815,000487,7164,346
9,331,6279,815,000483,3734,891
9,313,1969,815,000501,8044,944
9,319,5729,815,000495,4285,628
9,314,6049,815,000500,3964,880
9,311,1809,815,000503,8206,590
9,310,7389,815,000504,2624,879
9,301,7979,815,000513,2035,364
9,307,8589,815,000507,1424,980
9,297,7279,815,000517,2735,572
9,326,4439,815,000488,5575,002
9,326,1629,815,000488,8385,144
9,315,3939,815,000499,6075,249
9,320,9249,815,000494,0765,349
9,314,8919,815,000500,1094,984
9,311,8549,815,000503,1464,786
9,312,7749,815,000502,2265,590
9,298,5259,815,000516,4754,794
9,297,5429,815,000517,4585,327
9,286,3719,815,000528,6295,504
9,275,6839,815,000539,3174,424
9,261,3959,815,000553,6055,171
9,248,7449,815,000566,2565,103
9,245,1559,815,000569,8454,758
9,238,6609,815,000576,3405,071
9,237,2679,815,000577,7334,390
9,232,9569,815,000582,0445,077
9,212,2839,815,000602,7174,525
9,209,3819,815,000605,6195,241
9,206,5629,815,000608,4382,992
9,209,4389,815,000605,5625,291
9,162,2049,815,000652,7964,979
9,168,8829,815,000646,1185,738
9,163,9749,815,000651,0265,408
9,162,2859,815,000652,7155,013
9,159,5889,815,000655,4126,052
9,141,2799,815,000673,7214,841
9,142,7019,815,000672,2995,220
9,137,3709,815,000677,6305,905
9,128,7909,815,000686,2105,699
9,155,8429,815,000659,1585,773
9,118,4499,815,000696,5515,082
9,124,7859,815,000690,2155,053
9,120,0959,815,000694,9054,463
9,119,1179,815,000695,8834,262
9,111,9769,815,000703,0245,166
9,109,0919,815,000705,9094,871
9,107,8199,815,000707,1816,058
9,104,9629,815,000710,0385,375
9,103,8019,815,000711,1994,913
9,106,9739,815,000708,0275,674
9,110,7149,815,000704,2864,762
9,115,7829,815,000699,2185,033
9,113,8139,815,000701,1875,237
9,113,8529,815,000701,1485,018
9,112,4389,815,000702,5625,363
9,117,1029,815,000697,8984,791
9,115,3259,815,000699,6755,728
9,113,0179,815,000701,9835,142
9,110,2789,815,000704,7224,719
9,126,3399,815,000688,6617,277

The table scrolls sideways; the first column stays in place.

Source: U.S. Treasury, Fiscal Data, Daily Treasury Statement. Observed .

Sources and licence

Sources and licence

  • U.S. Treasury, Bureau of the Fiscal Service, Fiscal Data (source). Licence: Public domain, a work of the US federal government

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