Site Map 
compiled by Christopher Chantrill Follow @chrischantrill on Twitter

GOVERNMENT INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX

Total

Medical

Pension

Education

Military

Welfare

 

        Contact

US Federal Spending Since The Founding

chart
wizard
download
data
download
tab-delimited
view
data
customize
chart

Warning: Switching to line chart



Use the controls below to CUSTOMIZE chart or CHANGE the data series

Hover mouse over dropdown controls for help. Remember, you can display a maximum of five data series at once.

back to chart |back to top | down to data series


Spending Units: By default, government spending is displayed in billions of dollars. But using a dropdown control in the table heading you can select billions of 2005 dollars, percent of GDP, 2005 dollars per capita, percent of federal spending, or percent of total spending.
Chart Title: You can create a title for your chart. Use the text field to enter a title and click the button to the right of the text field.
US or State: By default, the chart shows overall United States government spending. But you can select spending for individual states by selecting the state dropdown control in the table heading.
State, Local: By default, you can chart state spending or local spending by clicking a radio button in the selection table. But you can chart state-and-local combined by selecting state n local in the state/local dropdown control in the table heading.
View: There are many ways to view the spending data. The default view is functional. There is a census view that conforms with the spending categories used by the US Census Bureau in its Statistical Abstract. There is a COFOG view that categorizes spending using the UN methodology.
Linear/Log: By default, the data series are displayed as linear charts. But you can also select a log chart. Linear charts show constant amount changes as a straight line; Log charts show constant rates of change as a straight line.
Line/Bar: By default, the data series are displayed as line charts. But you can also select a bar chart.
Data Stack: By default, the data series are “stacked” when displayed on the chart. But you can change the setting to “un stack” the data series.
Chart Size: By default, the chart is displayed at medium size. But you can use the dropdown control to change the size.
Color: By default charts are displayed with color data lines and fill. You can change this to grayscale if you want.
US Budget Year: By default, the chart displays budgeted and estimated federal spending in the current US Budget submitted to the Congress by the president. But you can look at previous budgeted numbers using this dropdown control.

Data Range

Start Year: You can select any start year you want using the dropdown control in the table heading. At the top and bottom of the dropdown only years ending in “0” are shown. Select a start year to get close, then select the start year you want.
End Year: You can select any end year you want using the dropdown control in the table heading. At the top and bottom of the dropdown only years ending in “0” are shown. Select an end year to get close, then select the end year you want.
Category (max 5)Sub-categoryFed Gov. 
Xfer 
State Local Total   
 
Data Series: Select a spending series you want to chart from a dropdown on the left. If you select on the bottom dropdown you will add a data series (up to a maximum of five). The right-hand dropdown allows you to replace a data series with a more narrowly focused series. Click the “X” link to remove a data series from the chart.
 *
 
 All Categories
* If you add data series at same government level, this item will be shown as Remaining Spending.

If you’d like to create your own custom chart of spending data you should use the table above to make your selections.

  • Select the year range: Select the start year and the end year you want by selecting the years you want in the two year dropdown boxes.
  • Select spending items: Just select the spending item you want from the dropdown control. Then click a radio button to select the level of government: federal, state, or local. If you select from the < select > you will add another data series to your chart. Up to 5 data series are allowed at once. Click the “X” link to remove a data series from the chart.
  • Select units: You can select the display in billions of nominal (i.e. inflated) dollars, billions of real (i.e. year 2005) dollars, or as percent of GDP.
  • Choose chart features: You can select the size of the chart, switch from bar chart to line chart, select color or black and white, stacked or not. You can also blow up the chart to fill the screen with the “fullsize” tab control above the chart display.

Download Data

back to chart |back to table | back to top

Download Data File

 

Click button to download CSV file of dataset in chart.
 

Download Tab-delimited Data

Copy and Paste: To copy and paste data into spreadsheet for analysis, just copy the tab-delimited text in the textbox below (click cursor in text box, then press ctrl-A then press ctrl-C) and paste it into your spreadsheet.

View Data Series

back to chart |back to table | back to top

Below is a formatted version of the data displayed in the chart.

US Federal Spending Since The Founding
Fiscal Years 1792 to 2016
YearGDP-US
$ billion nominal
Population-US
million
Total Spending -fed
percent GDP
17920.2234.1732.30a
17930.2494.3001.83a
17940.3124.4322.27a
17950.384.5672.02a
17960.4134.7071.42a
17970.4054.8501.55a
17980.4094.9981.92a
17990.4375.1512.25a
18000.4765.3082.31a
18010.5095.4761.90a
18020.4465.6481.83a
18030.4825.8261.70a
18040.5276.0101.72a
18050.5566.1991.96a
18060.6116.3951.67a
18070.5836.5961.51a
18080.646.8041.62a
18090.687.0191.59a
18100.6997.2401.24a
18110.767.4501.13a
18120.7797.6662.67a
18130.967.8893.37a
18141.0688.1183.32a
18150.9168.3543.65a
18160.8118.5963.87a
18170.7618.8462.99a
18180.739.1022.86a
18190.729.3673.14a
18200.7039.6382.76a
18210.7289.9212.33a
18220.79810.2122.03a
18230.75210.5112.11a
18240.74710.8192.88a
18250.81411.1362.10a
18260.85811.4622.15a
18270.90711.7981.94a
18280.88812.1442.04a
18290.92112.5001.84a
18301.01212.8661.69a
18311.04213.2351.65a
18321.11813.6141.75a
18331.14714.0052.26a
18341.20714.4061.78a
18351.32714.8191.53a
18361.46515.2442.30a
18371.53915.6822.70a
18381.58216.1312.42a
18391.64516.5941.92a
18401.55917.0701.86a
18411.63617.6011.90a
18421.60218.1491.86a
18431.55318.7141.05a
18441.68619.2961.58a
18451.84219.8971.48a
18462.04520.5161.56a
18472.38721.1542.57a
18482.40421.8132.07a
18492.39522.4922.07a
18502.55623.1921.75a
18512.69823.9092.00a
18523.03724.6481.69a
18533.27925.4091.71a
18543.67726.1951.81a
18553.93727.0041.77a
18564.00927.8391.99a
18574.1428.6991.92a
18584.05429.5862.14a
18594.38330.5011.94a
18604.34531.4431.80a
18614.59932.0911.74a
18625.78832.7538.39a
18637.62533.4289.52a
18649.45734.1179.28a
18659.88134.82013.27a
18668.99535.5375.96a
18678.34436.2704.52a
18688.14637.0174.91a
18697.84537.7804.42a
18707.73738.5584.31a
18717.59239.5884.17a
18728.2340.6463.70a
18738.75341.7323.65a
18748.48242.8473.95a
18758.1643.9913.78a
18768.30845.1663.59a
18778.52146.3733.23a
18788.37947.6123.24a
18799.35948.8833.21a
188010.36250.1892.94a
188111.62851.3422.58a
188212.21452.5212.44a
188312.31653.7262.51a
188411.78254.9602.47a
188511.59356.2222.68a
188612.1857.5132.41a
188713.14658.8332.44a
188813.86660.1842.34a
188913.85361.5662.61a
189015.07762.9802.55a
189115.40964.1922.85a
189216.35665.4282.58a
189315.41766.6883.02a
189414.14367.9723.20a
189515.60369.2812.84a
189615.49370.6152.86a
189716.15371.9742.85a
189818.08873.3602.99a
189919.50674.7733.62a
190020.56776.2123.06a
190122.26977.6802.87a
190224.06279.1762.38a
190325.9380.7012.31i
190425.68182.2552.45i
190528.78883.8392.29i
190631.03785.4532.23i
190733.85187.0992.15i
190830.13388.7762.53i
190932.22990.4862.48i
191033.42392.2292.51i
191134.34393.5232.57i
191237.38494.8362.47i
191339.1496.1672.48a
191436.47997.5162.76i
191538.67598.8852.72i
191649.638100.2732.10i
191759.702101.6803.87i
191875.835103.10717.20i
191978.333104.55424.07i
192088.393106.0227.68i
192173.603107.6267.49i
192273.432109.2545.12a
192385.414110.9084.35i
192486.947112.5864.22i
192590.575114.2904.00i
192696.949116.0193.69i
192795.544117.7753.70a
192897.365119.5573.77i
1929103.6121.3663.68i
193091.2123.2034.34i
193176.5124.0715.37i
193258.7124.9457.27a
193356.4125.8259.05i
193466126.7129.00a
193573.3127.60510.30i
193683.8128.50410.94a
193791.9129.4109.58i
193886.1130.3219.81a
193992.2131.24010.04i
1940101.4132.1659.92a
1941126.7133.96611.18i
1942161.9135.79221.96a
1943198.6137.64341.78i
1944219.8139.51945.73a
1945223141.42147.93i
1946222.2143.34929.94a
1947244.1145.30316.96i
1948269.1147.28313.23a
1949267.2149.29115.04i
1950293.7151.32615.25a
1951339.3153.91714.42a
1952358.3156.55219.97a
1953379.3159.23221.09a
1954380.4161.95820.42a
1955414.7164.73117.71a
1956437.4167.55117.37a
1957461.1170.42017.74a
1958467.2173.33718.42a
1959506.6176.30518.46a
1960526.4179.32318.48a
1961544.8181.58819.25a
1962585.7183.88118.24a
1963617.8186.20418.02a
1964663.6188.55517.86a
1965719.1190.93716.44a
1966787.7193.34817.08a
1967832.4195.79018.92a
1968909.8198.26319.58a
1969984.4200.76618.66a
19701038.3203.30218.84a
19711126.8205.51518.65a
19721237.9207.75218.63a
19731382.3210.01317.78a
19741499.5212.29917.96a
19751637.7214.60920.29a
19761824.6216.94520.38a
19772030.1219.30720.16a
19782293.8221.69420.00a
19792562.2224.10719.67a
19802788.1226.54621.20a
19813126.8228.67021.69a
19823253.2230.81522.92a
19833534.6232.97922.87a
19843930.9235.16421.67a
19854217.5237.36922.44a
19864460.1239.59522.21a
19874736.4241.84221.20a
19885100.4244.11020.87a
19895482.1246.39920.86a
19905800.5248.71021.60a
19915992.1251.80222.10a
19926342.3254.93321.78a
19936667.4258.10321.14a
19947085.2261.31220.63a
19957414.7264.56120.44a
19967838.5267.85019.91a
19978332.4271.18019.22a
19988793.5274.55218.79a
19999353.5277.96618.19a
20009951.5282.17217.98a
200110286.2285.08218.11a
200210642.3287.80418.90a
200311142.2290.32619.38a
200411853.3293.04619.34a
200512623295.50719.58a
200613377.2298.10919.85a
200714028.7300.73319.45a
200814369.1303.38020.76a
200913939306.05125.24a
201014508.2308.74623.83a
201114958.6311.59224.09a
201215547.4314.12322.75a
201316202.7316.84722.74b
201417011.4319.59422.21b
201517936.1322.36621.79b
201618934.2325.01021.60b

Legend:
a - actual reported
i - interpolated between actual reported values
e - estimated by usgovernmentspending.com
g - 'guesstimated' projection by usgovernmentspending.com
b - budgeted estimate in US FY14 budget

Data Sources for 1792:
GDP: Measuring Worth - US GDP
Federal: Bicentennial Edition: Historical Statistics of the US, Colonial Times to 1970
State and Local: not available

Data Sources for 2016:
GDP: Fed. Budget: Hist. Table 10.1
Federal: Fed. Budget: Hist. Tables 3.2 and 7.1
State and Local: State and Local Gov. Finances
Guesstimated” by projecting the latest change in reported spending forward to future years

back to chart |back to table | back to top

Site Search

Spending 101

Take a course in government spending.
Spending | Federal Debt | Revenue
Defense | Welfare | Healthcare | Education
It’s free!

Win Cash for Bugs

File a valid bug report and get a $5 Amazon Gift Certificate.

Next Data Update

> State GDP CY12

> data update schedule.

Data Sources for 1792_2016:

Sources for 1792:

GDP: Measuring Worth - US GDP
Federal: Bicentennial Edition: Historical Statistics of the US, Colonial Times to 1970
State and Local: not available

Sources for 2016:

GDP: Fed. Budget: Hist. Table 10.1
Federal: Fed. Budget: Hist. Tables 3.2 and 7.1
State and Local: State and Local Gov. Finances
Guesstimated” by projecting the latest change in reported spending forward to future years

> data sources for other years
> data update schedule.

Medicare and Social Security Details

On May 10, 2013, usgovernmentspending.com was updated to provide details of Social Security -- OASI and DI numbers -- and Medicare -- broken down by Part A, Part B, and Part D.

Go here to get details of the Social Security changes on usgovernmentspending.com.

Go here to get details of the Medicare changes on usgovernmentspending.com

Spend links

us numbersus budgetcustom chartdeficit/gdpspend/gdpdebt/gdpus gdpus real gdpstate gdpbreakdownfederalstatelocal200920102011californiatexas

Masthead

usgovernmentspending.com was designed and executed by:

Christopher Chantrill.

Email here.


presented by Christopher Chantrill
Data Sources  •  Contact