Total U.S. household debt rose by $167 billion in the first quarter of the year to reach $18.2 trillion, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York reported.
The increase was driven in part by a $199 billion jump in mortgage balances, which now total $12.8 trillion.
Student loan balances also grew, rising by $16 billion to reach $1.63 trillion.
The report noted a significant rise in student loan delinquencies, attributed to the resumption of credit reporting for those loans after a nearly five-year pause due to the pandemic.
According to the Education Department, more than five million borrowers are currently delinquent, with an additional four million potentially facing the same fate in the coming months.
There were a few bright spots in the report. Credit card debt declined by $29 billion to $1.18 trillion, while auto loan balances fell by $13 billion to $1.64 trillion, marking only the second quarterly decline in auto loan debt since 2011.
Overall, 4.3% of outstanding debt was in some stage of delinquency, up from the previous quarter. However, the rate of transition into serious delinquency remained stable for credit cards, auto loans, and other types of debt.
