--- title: 'Generation Owe: Here''s the Average Debt at Every Age' description: What generation has the most debt? Here's the average mortgage debt and credit card balance for millennials, boomers, Gen X and more. authors: - name: Brad Tuttle role: Senior Editor url: https://money.com/author/brad-tuttle/ bio: Brad Tuttle is a former senior editor at Money with over 10 years’ experience covering a vast number of personal finance topics, including careers, cars, travel, budgeting, investing, insurance, credit cards, consumer psychology, real estate, banking, and shopping and deals. education: Columbia University School of Journalism, MS at_money_since: 2014 articles: 366 covers: - Personal Finance - Banking - Business - Career Advice - Credit - Credit Cards - Economy and Politics - Education - Health and Wellness - Housing - Identity Theft - Insurance - Investing - Lifestyle - Loans - Mortgages - Pets - Professional Services - Retirement - Shopping - Taxes - Technology social: - https://twitter.com/bradrtuttle - https://linkedin.com/in/brad-tuttle-834b225 former_staff: true published: '2021-09-09T18:39:31.000Z' modified: '2022-03-17T13:31:34.000Z' section: Personal Finance tags: - boomers - credit card balance - Debt - Gen X - Guides - Millennials word_count: 499 canonical: https://money.com/average-debt-by-generation-2021/ type: Article source: structured-blocks --- > **Disclosure:** We research all brands listed and may earn a fee from our partners. Research and financial considerations may influence how brands are displayed. Not all brands are included. [Learn more](https://money.com/page/disclaimer/). ![Different Generations Looking At Bills](https://img.money.com/2021/09/News-Average-Amount-Of-Debt-Generation-Z-Y-X-Boomers.jpg) Generation X is often overlooked in the debates comparing [baby boomers](https://money.com/home-equity-high-prices-retirement-baby-boomers/) and the younger [millennials](https://money.com/child-care-costs-declining-birth-rate/) and [Gen Z](https://money.com/gen-z-rewriting-personal-finance-rules-real-time/). Here's one way that Gen X stands out, though it's probably not for the reason this neglected bunch would like: By most measures, the so-called slackers who came of age in the 1980s currently have significantly more debt than their older and younger counterparts. According to the new "State of Credit 2021" report from [Experian](https://www.experian.com/blogs/insights/2021/09/state-of-credit-2021/), one of the three major [credit reporting bureaus](https://money.com/7-ways-to-improve-credit-score/), Gen Xers have the highest credit card debt and highest levels of mortgage and non-mortgage debt of any generation, on average. ## If you owe over $10,000 in debt, a Debt Relief Program may be able to help get you back on your feet more quickly. ### Select your state to begin applying for Accredited's debt relief program. [Get Started](https://money.com/pr/u3792545ce33?ap_referrer=%2Faverage-debt-by-generation-2021%2F) ## Average credit card debt, by generation • Gen Z (ages 16 to 24): $2,312 • Gen Y (millennials, 25 to 40): $4,569 • Gen X (41 to 56): $7,236 • Boomers (57 to 75): $6,230 • Silent Generation (76 and up): $3,821 • U.S. average: $5,525 ## Average mortgage debt, by generation • Gen Z: $192,276 • Gen Y: $255,527 • Gen X: $259,100 • Boomers: $198,203 • Silent Generation: $163,254 • U.S. average: $229,242 ## Average non-mortgage debt, by generation • Gen Z: $12,524 • Gen Y: $28,317 • Gen X: $32,898 • Boomers: $24,136 • Silent Generation: $11,725 • U.S. average: $25,112 Members of Gen X are 41 to 56 years old now. That means they're in peak earning years for a standard career. Even so, it's understandable why they'd have more debt than other generations. Gen Xers are likely to be simultaneously [paying for college](https://money.com/how-to-pay-for-college/) for their kids and paying off their own student loans, while making [mortgage payments](https://money.com/best-mortgage-lenders/) (perhaps even on a [vacation home](https://money.com/homeowners-insurance-vacation-home/)), and possibly also helping their parents make ends meet as they get older. What's more, Gen X has constituted the largest share of new vehicle buyers during the [spike in demand for cars](https://money.com/how-to-buy-a-car-worst-time/) over the past 18 months or so, [Experian](https://www.experian.com/blogs/insights/2021/07/gen-x-makes-largest-segment-new-vehicle-buyers/) noted recently. In other words, many members of this sandwich generation are living through the most expensive years of their lives. So it makes sense why they'd have plenty of debt. The good news is that average credit card debt is down compared to pre-pandemic times for all generations, including Gen X. Overall, the average bank-issued credit card debt in 2021 is $5,525, a nearly $1,000 drop compared to 2019, when it was $6,494. For Gen X, the average card debt decreased from $8,365 in 2019 to $7,236 in 2021. On the other hand, mortgage debt is up across the board. The average U.S. mortgage debt rose from $210,263 in 2019 to $229,242 in 2021, while for Gen X the figures increased from $240,053 to $259,100. Guess that's to be expected given the red-hot [state of the real estate market](https://money.com/outlook-mortgage-rates-home-prices-2021/), with [median home sales prices](https://money.com/home-prices-increased-by-country/) up $40,000 to $50,000 in the past year alone. ## Want to lower your mortgage payments? Refinancing can help! ### Click below to get matched with Amerisave Mortgage (NMLS #1168) in your area. Start saving today! 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