Stats › Options, shorts and positioning › Margin debt

Margin debt has grown 604% since 1997, the S&P 500 354%

Margin debt: 604%604%Margin debtS&P 500: 354%354%S&P 500

Margin debt has grown roughly 1.7 times as fast as the index it is borrowed against, in inflation adjusted terms. Source: Advisor Perspectives using FINRA data.

Margin debt is money borrowed from a broker against the shares in an account. In June 2026 the US total reached 1.53 trillion dollars, a record. Since 1997, after inflation, that borrowing has grown 604% against the S&P 500's 354%.

$1.53tnMargin debt, June 2026
+51.5%Change over the year
+604%Real growth since 1997
+354%S&P 500, same period

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