@neveroptedin Struggling to get by? Your card balance may have climbed thousands in two years. Did yours jump more than the overall average? #creditcard... See more
The claim
According to the Federal Reserve's Economic Well-Being of U.S. Households in 2025 report (SHED, published May 2026), among SHED respondents with credit cards who consented to having their survey answers matched to their credit records, average credit card balances of borrowers "finding it difficult to get by" rose by over $2,500 (37 percent, from $6,735 to $9,265) between 2023 and 2025, versus $748 (11 percent) overall.
The receipt
In contrast, average balances increased by over $2,500 (37 percent) among borrowers who were "finding it difficult to get by."
Compared with two years earlier, the average credit card balances of SHED respondents with credit cards increased $748 (11 percent) in the previous two years (table A).
In the 2025 SHED, 63 percent of respondents agreed to have their responses matched to information from their credit reports.
Note: Among respondents who consented to merging credit data to survey responses. Balances in 2023 reflect the balances for the same 2025 respondents two years earlier.
What the numbers don't say
This is survey data matched to credit records, and only for respondents who agreed to that match — 63% in the 2025 survey. The 2023 balances are the same people two years earlier. The report measures what happened; it doesn't say why balances rose.
What to take from it
The report doesn't recommend anything, so this page doesn't either. It's a measurement of how card balances moved for households that described themselves as struggling, compared with everyone else.
Consumer info, not financial advice.