Credit Card Usage Statistics in United States (2026)
62.5% of adults in the United States used a credit card in 2021, World Bank Global Findex data show. Up from 61.9% in 2017 to 62.5% in 2021 (+0.6 percentage points). United States ranks #2 of 2 economies in North America on this measure, and #6 of 142 globally.
Key Statistics
- Latest value (2021)
- 62.5% (2021)
- Credit Card Usage in the United States as of 2021, the most recent observation in World Bank Global Findex data.
- Change since 2017
- +0.6 pp (2021)
- Up from 61.9% in 2017 to 62.5% in 2021 (+0.6 percentage points).
- Earliest value in this dataset (2014)
- 57.1% (2014)
- Earliest observation in this dataset, which covers 1990 onward (the source series may begin earlier). Up from 57.1% in 2014 to 62.5% in 2021.
- Record high (2021)
- 62.5% (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
- #6 of 142 (2021)
- The United States ranks 6 of 142 countries with data globally.
- North America average
- 70.5% (2021)
- The United States (62.5%) is below the average of 70.5% across the 2 countries in North America with data.
- Owns a credit card (% age 15+) (2021)
- 66.7% (2021)
- Related indicator from World Bank Global Findex.
- 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, 2014–2021
| Year | % of adults (age 15+) | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 62.5% | +0.6 pp |
| 2017 | 61.9% | +4.7 pp |
| 2014 | 57.1% | — |
Frequently asked questions
What share of adults in the United States used a credit card?
62.5% of adults in the United States used a credit card in 2021, according to World Bank Global Findex data.
How has credit card usage in the United States changed over time?
World Bank Global Findex data show a rise from 57.1% in 2014 to 62.5% 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 62.5% versus a regional average of 70.5% (latest values per country).
Source & methodology
Source: World Bank Global Findex, indicator
fin22g, retrieved .
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 .