More than seven in 10 Hispanic adults in the United States carry debt, but fewer than half say that debt leaves them feeling weighed down financially, according to a new survey that reveals a more complicated picture of Latino finances than the balances alone suggest.
The National Debt Relief survey found that 72% of Hispanic Americans carry some form of debt, compared with 68% of non-Hispanic Americans. Yet only 43% of Hispanic respondents said they feel weighed down by what they owe.
That means carrying debt and feeling overwhelmed by it are far from synonymous for many Latino adults.
The study, conducted by Talker Research for National Debt Relief, surveyed 2,000 U.S. adults online from March 6 through March 16, 2026. Half of the sample consisted of 1,000 Census-representative Hispanic respondents, evenly divided between Spanish-speaking and English-speaking adults. The other 1,000 respondents were non-Hispanic.
Credit cards represented one of the most common financial burdens.
Some 41% of Hispanic respondents said they carry credit card debt from month to month, with an average balance of $10,933.
Auto loans were reported by 23% of Hispanic respondents, with an average balance of $17,875. Another 23% had personal loans averaging $10,642, while 20% reported medical debt, averaging $11,150.
The survey nevertheless found a notable gap between the prevalence of debt and the emotional burden respondents associated with it.
While 72% of Hispanic Americans reported carrying debt, 43% said they felt weighed down by debt. Among non-Hispanic respondents, 37% said the same.
The findings also point to differences within the Hispanic population itself, particularly between people who primarily speak Spanish and those who primarily speak English.
Despite facing greater financial pressure by several measures, Hispanic respondents were more optimistic about their economic future.
Some 61% said they still believe in the American Dream, compared with 55% of non-Hispanic respondents. Optimism was even greater among Spanish-speaking Hispanics: 66% said they believed the American Dream remained achievable, compared with 56% of English-speaking Hispanic respondents.
"This data isn't just about debt and financial challenges, it's about hope," Bryce Williamson, senior vice president of client loyalty at National Debt Relief, said when the findings were released.
The survey also uncovered a financial education gap that could influence how families manage borrowing.
One-third, or 33%, of Hispanic Americans surveyed said they had never received formal financial education.
At the same time, Hispanic adults appear particularly willing to seek financial information through newer technologies. The study found that 65% of Hispanic respondents are turning to artificial intelligence tools such as ChatGPT for personal finance guidance, compared with 51% of non-Hispanics.
The findings come as debt remains embedded in the finances of households across the United States. Mortgages, auto financing, student loans and credit cards mean having debt does not automatically indicate that a household is experiencing financial distress.
The National Debt Relief results make that distinction particularly visible among Latinos.
Hispanic Americans in the survey were slightly more likely than non-Hispanic adults to carry debt and more likely to report feeling weighed down by it. But most Hispanic respondents with debt did not characterize themselves that way, while optimism about future opportunity remained higher than among non-Hispanic Americans.
For a population in which nearly three-quarters of adults surveyed carry debt, the numbers tell two stories at once: significant financial pressure, but also a striking reluctance to view those obligations as an insurmountable barrier to moving forward.
