Nearly 20% of US families had loan delinquencies — CNBC

In the United States, the share of families with loan delinquencies rose from about 12% in the previous survey to nearly 20% by the end of 2025. This is the highest figure since 2010, according to data from the US Federal Reserve System reported by CNBC.

Rising delinquencies

The share of families that were at least two months behind on payments increased to more than 8%, compared with 5% in 2022. At the same time, the share of households whose payment-to-income ratio exceeded 40% rose to 8.6%. This is the highest level for this indicator since 2013.

The Fed's Survey of Consumer Finances covers the three-year period through the end of 2025. During this time, the US economy continued to grow, while inflation reached rates unseen since the early 1980s. The Fed concluded that US families' ability to meet debt obligations deteriorated noticeably, although the wealth gap narrowed somewhat.

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Income and wealth

The median real income of US families increased by 7% over this period, while average income declined by 6%. The Fed noted that households in the lower income and wealth groups recorded moderate growth in median and average incomes, while these indicators declined in the upper groups.

Adjusted for inflation, average family net worth increased by 7% to $1.24 million, while the median figure rose by only 2% to $215,900. Among families in the lowest income quartile, median net worth decreased by 6% and average net worth by 4%. At the same time, median net worth in the highest income group increased by 31%.

The most notable increase in income was recorded among families whose primary members were aged 75 and older. In the group aged 35 to 44, incomes, by contrast, declined by 25%, which the Fed linked to a decrease in capital gains income.