Revolving Credit Utilization (75th Percentile)
Credit card utilization at the 75th percentile of active large-bank card accounts
Where the Revolving Credit Utilization (75th Percentile) stands now
The Revolving Credit Utilization (75th Percentile) was 49.7% in the second quarter of 2026. Since 2012 it has ranged from 40.9% in the second quarter of 2021 to 61.1% in the fourth quarter of 2012. It has been lower than a year earlier for seven quarters in a row.
What it means for households: Credit Card Default Statistics Behind on payments? Your Rights with Debt Collectors
How the Revolving Credit Utilization (75th Percentile) has moved since 2012
Revolving Credit Utilization (75th Percentile): down since 2023
Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia large-bank credit card data (FRED RCCCBACTIVEUTILPCT75), utilization at the 75th percentile of active accounts, not seasonally adjusted: 49.7% in the second quarter of 2026, down from 50.9% a year earlier. Quarterly, 2012–2026.
What the Revolving Credit Utilization (75th Percentile) measures
A higher rate is worse for households.
Revolving Credit Utilization (75th Percentile) by quarter, 2012 to 2026
| Quarter | Rate (%) | Change from a year earlier (percentage points) |
|---|---|---|
| Q2 2026 | 49.7 | −1.2 |
| Q1 2026 | 49.6 | −1.2 |
| Q4 2025 | 53.1 | −1.2 |
| Q3 2025 | 51.5 | −1.1 |
| Q2 2025 | 50.9 | −1.0 |
| Q1 2025 | 50.8 | −1.1 |
| Q4 2024 | 54.3 | −0.7 |
| Q3 2024 | 52.6 | +0.3 |
| Q2 2024 | 51.9 | +1.5 |
| Q1 2024 | 51.9 | +2.9 |
| Q4 2023 | 55.0 | +3.6 |
| Q3 2023 | 52.3 | +4.9 |
| Q2 2023 | 50.4 | +6.2 |
| Q1 2023 | 49.0 | +6.0 |
| Q4 2022 | 51.4 | +5.6 |
| Q3 2022 | 47.4 | +5.5 |
| Q2 2022 | 44.2 | +3.3 |
| Q1 2022 | 43.0 | +1.2 |
| Q4 2021 | 45.8 | −2.0 |
| Q3 2021 | 41.9 | −3.1 |
| Q2 2021 | 40.9 | −4.7 |
| Q1 2021 | 41.8 | −10.9 |
| Q4 2020 | 47.8 | −8.7 |
| Q3 2020 | 45.0 | −8.3 |
| Q2 2020 | 45.6 | −6.9 |
| Q1 2020 | 52.7 | +0.4 |
| Q4 2019 | 56.5 | 0.0 |
| Q3 2019 | 53.3 | −3.1 |
| Q2 2019 | 52.5 | −3.1 |
| Q1 2019 | 52.3 | −1.4 |
| Q4 2018 | 56.5 | −1.7 |
| Q3 2018 | 56.4 | +0.1 |
| Q2 2018 | 55.6 | +0.5 |
| Q1 2018 | 53.7 | −0.8 |
| Q4 2017 | 58.2 | −0.7 |
| Q3 2017 | 56.3 | +0.1 |
| Q2 2017 | 55.1 | +1.1 |
| Q1 2017 | 54.5 | +0.6 |
| Q4 2016 | 58.9 | +0.9 |
| Q3 2016 | 56.2 | −0.4 |
| Q2 2016 | 54.0 | +0.4 |
| Q1 2016 | 53.9 | +0.8 |
| Q4 2015 | 58.0 | +1.0 |
| Q3 2015 | 56.6 | +1.3 |
| Q2 2015 | 53.6 | +0.8 |
| Q1 2015 | 53.1 | +1.2 |
| Q4 2014 | 57.0 | +1.5 |
| Q3 2014 | 55.3 | +1.9 |
| Q2 2014 | 52.8 | −0.4 |
| Q1 2014 | 51.9 | −5.2 |
| Q4 2013 | 55.5 | −5.6 |
| Q3 2013 | 53.4 | −6.3 |
| Q2 2013 | 53.2 | — |
| Q1 2013 | 57.1 | — |
| Q4 2012 | 61.1 | — |
| Q3 2012 | 59.7 | — |
Quarterly · Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia data retrieved via FRED (RCCCBACTIVEUTILPCT75)
Counties with the highest safety net and buffer scores
There's no county figure for this measure, so this list uses the safety net and buffer part of our County Distress Index.
| Rank | County | Score (0–100) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Choctaw County, OK | 94.8 |
| 2 | Stewart County, GA | 94.2 |
| 3 | Noxubee County, MS | 94.2 |
| 4 | Hudspeth County, TX | 94 |
| 5 | Brooks County, TX | 94 |
| 6 | Lake County, TN | 94 |
| 7 | Duval County, TX | 93.9 |
| 8 | Ripley County, MO | 93.5 |
| 9 | Dunklin County, MO | 93.3 |
| 10 | Quitman County, GA | 93.2 |
Questions about credit card use against limits
What does this utilization percentile mean?
Line up every active credit card account at the large banks in the data by how much of its limit is used. The account three-quarters of the way up was at 49.7% in the second quarter of 2026, so a quarter of accounts were above that. It describes accounts, not people, and it is not an average.
Is credit card utilization going up?
Compare the same quarter across years, because this series is not seasonally adjusted and usually peaks in the fourth quarter. In the second quarter of 2026 the 75th-percentile account was at 49.7%. That is down 1.2 percentage points from 50.9% in the second quarter of 2025. It has been lower than a year earlier for seven quarters in a row.
Is there a utilization level lenders flag?
The 30% figure is consumer guidance from credit bureaus about credit scores, and Experian says there is no specific cut-off. It does not come from the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System or from this data.
Where does the data come from?
The Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia builds it from account-level data that bank holding companies with $100 billion or more in assets report to the Federal Reserve. It is published quarterly, a little over three months after the quarter ends, and carried on FRED as RCCCBACTIVEUTILPCT75.
Sources and method for the Revolving Credit Utilization (75th Percentile)
- Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia data retrieved via FRED (RCCCBACTIVEUTILPCT75) We use the quarterly figures as published, from the third quarter of 2012 through the second quarter of 2026, with no adjustment of our own. Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia doesn’t adjust this rate for the season, so compare a quarter with the same quarter a year earlier. Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia’s report
We write with assistance from AI tools. Figures come from the data and sources named on this page.