Americans' debt level rises in third quarter

FILE PHOTO - U.S. one dollar bills blow near the Andalusian capital of Seville in this photo illustration taken on November 16, 2014. REUTERS/Marcelo Del Pozo

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Americans' debt level rose during the third quarter, driven by an increase in mortgage loans, according to a Federal Reserve Bank of New York report published on Tuesday.

Total U.S. household debt was $12.96 trillion in the three months to September, up $116 billion from the prior three months. Debt levels were $605 billion higher than during the third quarter of 2016.

The proportion of overall debt that was delinquent rose slightly to 4.9 percent from 4.8 percent.

(Reporting by Jason Lange; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)