Credit Card Ownership Statistics in United States (2026)

As of the 2021 data, 66.7% of adults in the United States owned a credit card, per World Bank Global Findex. Up from 65.6% in 2017 to 66.7% in 2021 (+1.1 percentage points). United States ranks #2 of 2 economies in North America on this measure, and #9 of 142 globally.

Key Statistics

Latest value (2021): 66.7% (2021); Credit Card Ownership in the United States as of 2021, the most recent observation in World Bank Global Findex data.
Change since 2017: +1.1 pp (2021); Up from 65.6% in 2017 to 66.7% in 2021 (+1.1 percentage points).
Earliest value in this dataset (2011): 61.9% (2011); Earliest observation in this dataset, which covers 1990 onward (the source series may begin earlier). Up from 61.9% in 2011 to 66.7% in 2021.
Record high (2021): 66.7% (2021); The 2021 value is the highest in the available World Bank Global Findex series for the United States.
Rank in North America: #2 of 2 (2021); The United States ranks 2 of 2 countries in North America with data, based on each country's latest value.
Global rank: #9 of 142 (2021); The United States ranks 9 of 142 countries with data globally.
North America average: 74.7% (2021); The United States (66.7%) is below the average of 74.7% across the 2 countries in North America with data.
Among women (2021): 67.7% (2021); Value for women in the United States, same 2021 World Bank Global Findex data.
Among men (2021): 65.6% (2021); Value for men in the United States, same 2021 World Bank Global Findex data.
Gender gap (women minus men): +2.1 pp (2021); In 2021, the figure was 67.7% for women and 65.6% for men — 2.1 percentage points higher among women.
Internet use in the United States (2024): 94.7% (2024); 94.7% of the population in the United States used the internet in 2024 (World Bank); shown for context only.
Population (2024): 340.1 million (2024); The United States had a population of 340.1 million in 2024 (World Bank); shown for scale only.

Trend, 2011–2021

Credit Card Ownership in United States by year (% of adults (age 15+))
Year	% of adults (age 15+)	Change
2021	66.7%	+1.1 pp
2017	65.6%	+5.5 pp
2014	60.1%	−1.8 pp
2011	61.9%	—

Fig. 1 — Credit Card Ownership in United States, 2011–2021

Frequently asked questions

What share of adults in the United States owned a credit card?

66.7% of adults in the United States owned a credit card in 2021, according to World Bank Global Findex data.

How recent is the credit card ownership data for the United States?

The most recent observation is from 2021. World Bank Global Findex data is reported with a lag, so 2021 is the latest available year for the United States.

Where does the credit card ownership data for the United States come from?

The data comes from the World Bank Global Findex (indicator fin10). The latest observation for the United States is from 2021; the snapshot was retrieved on 2026-06-10.

How has credit card ownership in the United States changed over time?

World Bank Global Findex data show a rise from 61.9% in 2011 to 66.7% in 2021.

How does the United States compare with other countries in North America?

The United States ranks 2 of 2 countries in North America with data, with 66.7% versus a regional average of 74.7% (latest values per country).

Source & methodology

Source: World Bank Global Findex, indicator fin10, retrieved 2026-06-10.

Figures are shown exactly as published in the source dataset; only the change column of the trend table is computed from adjacent published values.Read more on the methodology page. All figures are estimates and projections; this is not financial advice.

Last updated 2026-06-10.