---
title: "Americans Cite War Costs as Top Reason for U.S. Debt"
description: "Six-in-ten Americans say that the cost of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan contributed a \"great deal\" to the U.S. debt."
date: "2011-06-07"
authors:
  - name: "Russell Heimlich"
    job_title: "Former web developer"
    link: "https://www.pewresearch.org/staff/russell-heimlich/"
url: "https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2011/06/07/americans-cite-war-costs-as-top-reason-for-u-s-debt/"
categories:
  - "Rural, Urban and Suburban Communities"
---

# Americans Cite War Costs as Top Reason for U.S. Debt

Six-in-ten (60%) of Americans say the top contributor to the U.S. debt has been the cost of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. In addition to the 60% who believed that the wars contributed a “great deal” to the debt, another 26% said the commitments in those countries were responsible for a “fair amount” of the red ink. Other factors contributing to the debt ranked nowhere near as high. Four-in-ten (42%) said the condition of the national economy accounted for a “great deal” of the debt with 34% saying it resulted in a “fair amount.” By comparison increased domestic spending was blamed for a great deal of the debt by only 24% with another 38% saying it contributed a fair amount. Two-in-ten (19%) said tax cuts enacted over the last 10 years contributed a great deal to the debt with another 35% saying it resulted in a fair amount. [Read More](https://www.pewresearch.org/pubs/2017/poll-what-created-the-national-debt-wars-spending-tax-cuts-deficit-reduction-proposals?src=prc-number)