More U.S. households fell behind on debt in 2025 as inflation squeezed budgets
CBS News reports that nearly one in five U.S. households missed a debt payment in 2025, up from about 12% in 2022. These are national figures, rather than Erie-specific findings.
Nearly 20% of U.S. households were late on a debt payment in 2025, compared with roughly 12% in 2022, according to an October 12 CBS News report. Almost 9% spent more than 40% of their income on debt repayment, the report said.
CBS also described rising delinquencies across credit cards, auto loans and mortgages, and increased student-loan delinquencies following the end of pandemic protections. Its report cited surveys indicating that inflation is contributing to larger credit-card balances and plans to reduce spending. The figures describe households nationally. They do not establish the share of Erie or Pennsylvania households behind on payments.
ErieBizToday examines this development and its implications for Pennsylvania businesses and communities using the linked research.
Research sources
- CBS News / MoneyWatch: More U.S. households fell behind on debt in 2025 as inflation squeezed budgets ↗
- BusinessIndy brief republished with permission of the owner ↗
Linked source published October 12, 2026 at 4:29 PM EDT. Prepared with AI assistance from the linked research; material claims remain attributed in the story.