How much money does the US have to spend?
In fiscal year 2023, the federal government is estimated to spend $6.3 trillion, amounting to 24.2 percent of the nation's gross domestic product (GDP). Of that $6.3 trillion, over $4.8 trillion is estimated to be financed by federal revenues. The remaining amount will be financed by net borrowing.
- Social Security ($1,354 billion). ...
- Health ($889 billion). ...
- Medicare ($848 billion). ...
- National Defense ($820 billion). ...
- Income Security ($775 billion). ...
- Net Interest ($658 billion). ...
- Veterans Benefits and Services ($302 billion). ...
- Transportation ($126 billion).
The financial position of the United States includes assets of at least $269 trillion (1576% of GDP) and debts of $145.8 trillion (852% of GDP) to produce a net worth of at least $123.8 trillion (723% of GDP).
As of the fiscal year 2019 budget approved by Congress, national defense is the largest discretionary expenditure in the federal budget. Figure C provides a historical picture of military spending over the last few decades. In 1970, the United States government spent just over $80 billion on national defense.
The federal deficit in 2023 was $1.7 trillion, equal to 6.3 percent of gross domestic product. In CBO's projections, federal budget deficits total $20 trillion over the 2025–2034 period and federal debt held by the public reaches 116 percent of GDP.
Country/territory | US foreign-owned debt (January 2023) |
---|---|
Japan | $1,104,400,000,000 |
China | $859,400,000,000 |
United Kingdom | $668,300,000,000 |
Belgium | $331,100,000,000 |
The $34 trillion gross federal debt equals debt held by the public plus debt held by federal trust funds and other government accounts. In very basic terms, this can be thought of as debt that the government owes to others plus debt that it owes to itself. Learn more about different ways to measure our national debt.
- Ukraine ($12.4B)
- Israel ($3.3B)
- Ethiopia ($2.2B)
- Afghanistan ($1.39B)
- Yemen ($1.38B)
- Egypt ($1.37B)
- Jordan ($1.19B)
- Nigeria ($1.15B)
The United States led the ranking of countries with highest military spending in 2022, with 877 billion U.S. dollars dedicated to the military. That constituted nearly 40 percent of the total military spending worldwide that year, which amounted to 2.2 trillion U.S. dollars.
Where we gave the most foreign aid in 2023. In 2023, the United States spent nearly $61 billion on foreign aid. Fully half of that budget has gone to just ten countries: Ukraine ($16.4 billion)
What are the 3 biggest federal expenses?
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.
The federal taxes you pay are used by the government to invest in the country and to provide goods and services for the benefit of the American people. The three biggest categories of expenditures are: Major health programs, such as Medicare and Medicaid. Social security.
The federal government collected $5.03 trillion in revenue during fiscal year 2022, according to data aggregated from the Office of Management and Budget, the Census Bureau, and the Bureau of Economic Analysis. Federal revenue increased 14% in 2022, matching the increase from 2021.
United States. The United States boasts both the world's biggest national debt in terms of dollar amount and its largest economy, which resolves to a debt-to GDP ratio of approximately 128.13%.
The federal government needs to borrow money to pay its bills when its ongoing spending activities and investments cannot be funded by federal revenues alone. Decreases in federal revenue are largely due to either a decrease in tax rates or individuals or corporations making less money.
The U.S. national debt is the sum of public debt that is held by other countries, the Federal Reserve, mutual funds, and other entities and individuals, as well as intragovernmental holdings held by Social Security, Military Retirement Fund, Medicare, and other retirement funds.
Characteristic | National debt in relation to GDP |
---|---|
Macao SAR | 0% |
Brunei Darussalam | 2.06% |
Kuwait | 3.08% |
Hong Kong SAR | 4.27% |
Among other countries, Japan and China have continued to be the top owners of US debt during the last two decades. Since the dollar is a strong currency that is accepted globally, holding a substantial amount of US debt can be beneficial.
Tax hikes alone are rarely enough to stimulate the economy and pay down debt. Governments often issue debt in the form of bonds to raise money. Spending cuts and tax hikes combined have helped lower the deficit. Bailouts and debt defaults have disadvantages but can help a government solve a debt problem.
It began rising at a fast rate in the 1980's and was accelerated through events like the Iraq Wars and the 2008 Great Recession. Most recently, the debt made another big jump thanks to the pandemic with the federal government spending significantly more than it took in to keep the country running.
Who owns most of US debt?
The major international owners of US debt include Japan ($1.1T), China, UK, Belgium, Switzerland, Cayman Islands and smaller amounts from the rest of the world. After the recent weak treasury auction, US government officials warned that they are seeing waning demand from international buyers.
Domestic Holders of Federal Debt
The Federal Reserve, which purchases and sells Treasury securities as a means to influence federal interest rates and the nation's money supply, is the largest holder of such debt.
The federal government collects revenue from a variety of sources, including individual income taxes, payroll taxes, corporate income taxes, and excise taxes. It also collects revenue from services like admission to national parks and customs duties. In -12, the federal government collected $.
What GAO Found. U.S. agencies reported providing at least $48 million in obligations for various purposes to entities located in China from fiscal years 2017 through 2021. Of this amount, agencies obligated about $22.8 million through assistance awards and about $25.2 million through contracts.
Most of the aid—approximately $3.3 billion a year—is provided as grants under the Foreign Military Financing (FMF) program, funds that Israel must use to purchase U.S. military equipment and services.
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