Equifax National Market Pulse Data Shows U.S. Consumer Top-Line Debt Stabilizing at $18.25 Trillion in Q2 2026 With Delinquencies Improving Across Cat

By Staff Writer Atlanta Trend

• Aug 27, 2026

Equifax has released its Market Pulse Second Quarter U.S. Consumer Credit Trends, which includes U.S. national consumer credit data and trends through June 2026 sourced from Equifax proprietary data. While consumer debt balances reached $18.25 trillion in June, driven by increases in mortgage and revolving consumer bank card debt, the data signaled a stabilization period for consumers with only a 0.32% increase from the first quarter of 2026. The data also highlights a consistent improvement in delinquencies in all categories.

Total U.S. consumer debt climbed to $18.25 trillion by the end of Q2 2026, a 2.1% year-over-year increase, which represented a growth of nearly $400 billion in a 12-month span. This expansion was primarily driven by mortgage debt, which accounted for roughly 74% of all consumer debt, as first mortgage and HELOC balances were up 1.9% and 12.5% year-over-year.

"We are witnessing a period where top-line consumer data suggests retail and mortgage credit is stabilizing," said Emmaline Aliff, Advisory Leader at Equifax. "Total consumer debt only increased slightly in the second quarter of 2026, heavily anchored by first mortgages and a renewed reliance on credit cards. Although consumers accumulated seasonal credit card debt last November and December and paid the balances down in the first quarter, they took on more debt in the second quarter, though mortgage debt remains the majority of total consumer debt obligations."

While auto loans, student loans, and bankcards continue to dominate roughly 90% of all non-mortgage debt, the composition of this debt has fundamentally shifted over the last three years. Bankcard debt, which was around $1.02 trillion in June 2024, and has grown by 8.2% to land at $1.1 trillion in the second quarter of 2026. This growth outpaces inflation over this same time period, which was about 6.5%.

"Historically, total student loan debt balances were consistently higher than auto debt and almost twice as much as bankcard debt," said Aliff. "The changing proportions of the non-mortgage categories reflect a macro shift, where student loan stabilization is being offset by further reliance on credit to manage the budgetary pressures of rising household and vehicle costs."

Delinquency rates across automotive, bankcard, and unsecured personal loan portfolios all registered measurable downward trajectories on both a month-over-month and year-over-year basis. This broader stabilization also extended to the mortgage sector. Though first mortgage 90+ days past due (DPD) delinquencies rose 40.6% year-over-year from historic mid-2025 lows, they have improved, dropping 3.6% since May 2026, and suggesting a normalization of delinquencies and alleviation of pressure for some homeowners.