Federal spending

Extracted Attributes

• Oversight Body

  Congressional Budget Office (CBO)

• Nature of Budget

  Typically incurs more spending than revenue, contributing to annual increase in federal debt

• FY 2024 Total Spending

  $6.9 trillion

• Primary Spending Categories

  Healthcare, retirement, defense, Social Security, Medicare, military equipment, highway maintenance, building construction, research, education

• FY 2024 Spending as % of GDP

  24%

• FY 2024 Interest Payments on Debt

  $892 billion

• General Government Spending (2022)

  $9.372 trillion

• FY 2024 Interest Payments as % of Budget

  13%

• Federal Debt Held by Public (2024 Projection)

  99% of GDP

• Federal Debt Held by Public (2034 Projection)

  116% of GDP

• Federal Debt Held by Public (2054 Projection)

  172% of GDP

• General Government Spending as % of GDP (2022)

  36.7%

• Federal Share of Total Government Spending (2019)

  Approximately 55%

Timeline

• The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) projected federal debt held by the public to rise from 99% of GDP in 2024 to 116% by 2034 and 172% by 2054 if current laws remain unchanged, largely due to escalating interest costs and mandatory spending. (Source: Wikipedia)

  2024-02-01

• In fiscal year 2024, the federal government spent $6.9 trillion, amounting to 24 percent of the nation’s gross domestic product (GDP), with $892 billion allocated to interest payments on the federal debt. (Source: web_search_results)

  2024-09-30

• The Treasury Department confirmed that federal government spending from January to June 2025 was $3.6 trillion, an increase of $142 billion from the same period in 2024, largely due to the automatic growth of programs like Social Security and Medicare. (Source: web_search_results)

  2025-07-10

• A large federal spending bill was defeated through a campaign championed by Elon Musk and the DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency) initiative, signaling a potential paradigm shift in governance towards greater public scrutiny and accountability. (Source: Related Documents)

  Undated

United States federal budget

The United States budget comprises the spending and revenues of the U.S. federal government. The budget is the financial representation of the priorities of the government, reflecting historical debates and competing economic philosophies. The government primarily spends on healthcare, retirement, and defense programs. The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office provides extensive analysis of the budget and its economic effects. The budget typically contains more spending than revenue, the difference adding to the federal debt each year. CBO estimated in February 2024 that federal debt held by the public is projected to rise from 99 percent of GDP in 2024 to 116 percent in 2034 and would continue to grow if current laws generally remained unchanged. Over that period, the growth of interest costs and mandatory spending outpaces the growth of revenues and the economy, driving up debt. Those factors persist beyond 2034, pushing federal debt higher still, to 172 percent of GDP in 2054.

Web Search Results

• Federal Spending | U.S. Treasury Fiscal Data

  The federal government spends money on a variety of goods, programs, and services that support the economy and people of the United States. The federal government also spends money on the interest it has incurred on outstanding federal debt. Consequently, as the debt grows, the spending on interest expense also generally grows. [...] Federal government spending pays for everything from Social Security and Medicare to military equipment, highway maintenance, building construction, research, and education. This spending can be broken down into two primary categories: mandatory and discretionary. These purchases can also be classified by object class and budget functions. [...] The federal government spends money on a variety of goods, programs, and services to support the American public and pay interest incurred from borrowing. In fiscal year (FY) 2024, the government spent $6.75 trillion, which was more than it collected (revenue), resulting in a deficit.

• Treasury Confirms Spending Up $142 Billion in 2025

  The Treasury Department just confirmed that spending continues to rise. The federal government has already spent $3.6 trillion from January to June of 2025 – up $142 billion from this same period last year. Despite the focus on cost-cutting in Washington, we’re still seeing an annual rise in spending – largely due to the automatic growth of programs like Social Security and Medicare. [...] _According to the latest__Monthly Treasury Statement__from the Treasury Department, federal government spending, as measured by outlays, is $142 billion higher in the first half of calendar year 2025 than the first half of calendar year 2024._ _The following is a statement from Maya MacGuineas, president of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget:_ [...] Published Time: 2025-07-10T16:36:27-0400 Treasury Confirms Spending Up $142 Billion in 2025 | Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget =============== Skip to main content Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget ------------------------------------------------------------------- Menu Main navigation --------------- Our Work Issues

• Government spending in the United States - Wikipedia

  Figures published by the International Monetary Fund for 2022 shows general government spending at $9.372 trillion, or 36.7% of GDP.( Components of federal government spending ----------------------------------------- [edit] Further information: United States federal budget Image 8 CBO: U.S. Federal spending and revenue components for fiscal year 2023. Major expenditure categories are healthcare, Social Security, and defense; income and payroll taxes are the primary revenue sources. [...] For most governments around the world, the majority of government spending takes place at the federal/national level. As of 2019, in the United States, approximately 55% of government spending is spent by the federal government, while the remaining 45% of government spending is spent by state and local government.( Federal government spending in the United States can be broken down into three general categories: mandatory/entitlement spending, discretionary spending, and interest on government [...] At the beginning of the 20th century, the majority of government spending in the United States took place at the local level. However, federal spending increased relative to state and local spending as a result of World War I and World War II, and by the 1930s, state and local government spending accounted for less than one half of government spending. By 2019, federal spending was more than 20% of GDP, while state and local spending hovered around 17% of GDP.( As a result, in recent years,

• Policy Basics: Where Do Our Federal Tax Dollars Go?

  In fiscal year 2024, the federal government spent $6.9 trillion, amounting to 24 percent of the nation’s gross domestic product (GDP), according to the June 2024 estimates of the Congressional Budget Office (CBO). About nine-tenths of the total went toward federal programs; the remainder went toward interest payments on the federal debt. Of that $6.9 trillion, almost $4.9 trillion was financed by federal revenues. The remaining amount was financed by borrowing. (Note: In this analysis, the [...] All other program spending: As the chart above shows, the remaining federal program spending supports a variety of other public services. They include investing in education; investing in basic infrastructure such as roads, bridges, and airports; maintaining natural resources, farms, and the environment; investing in scientific and medical research; enforcing the nation’s laws to promote justice; and other basic duties of the federal government. A very small share — less than 1 percent of [...] In addition to program spending, the federal government makes regular interest payments on the money it has borrowed to finance past and current deficits. The federal debt net of financial assets reached $25.9 trillion by the end of fiscal year 2024 and led to $892 billion in interest payments in 2024, or 13 percent of the budget. Interest payments are for debt accumulated over the nation’s history — that is, the net impact of deficits and surpluses since 1789 — and therefore result from budget

• USAspending: Government Spending Open Data

  including information about federal awards such as contracts, grants, and loans. Pause text animation Image 7 Image 8 Image 9 Image 10 Image 11 So far this year, the federal government plans to spend -- including… -- -- -- See more breakdowns of federal spending So far this year, the federal government plans to spend -- including… -- -- -- See more breakdowns of federal spending Featured Content Image 12 YOUR FEEDBACK We’re seeking your input on the USAspending API