Treasury spent $276 billion in interest on the national debt in the final three months of 2025, says the CBO—up $30 billion from a year prior

The Treasury paid out $92 billion a month in net interest on the national debt in the final three months of 2025, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) reported. That’s 13% higher than the year prior.

In its monthly budget review for September, released Friday, the CBO reported that budget outlays for October to December included a $276 billion spend on net interest on the public debt, up $31 billion for the same period at the close of 2024.

The reason is straightforward. The CBO...