US federal budgetOctober 2014 to September 2015
Federal spending in 2015
The federal government spent $3.69 trillion in FY2015 and took in $3.25 trillion, so it borrowed 12¢ of every dollar it spent.In fiscal year 2015 (October 2014 to September 2015) the federal government spent $3.69 trillion and took in $3.25 trillion, leaving a deficit of $438.9 billion.
Spending by function
Where each dollar went in FY2015
Cents per dollar of gross function outlays. Hover or tap a block for the amount.
All functions as a table
| Function | Outlays | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Social Security | $887.8 billion | 23.1% |
| National Defense | $591.4 billion | 15.4% |
| Medicare | $546.2 billion | 14.2% |
| Income Security | $509.4 billion | 13.3% |
| Health | $482.2 billion | 12.6% |
| Net Interest | $223.3 billion | 5.8% |
| Veterans Benefits and Services | $159.7 billion | 4.2% |
| Education, Training, Employment, and Social Services | $120.4 billion | 3.1% |
| Transportation | $90.0 billion | 2.3% |
| Administration of Justice | $53.6 billion | 1.4% |
| International Affairs | $48.6 billion | 1.3% |
| Natural Resources and Environment | $34.0 billion | 0.9% |
| General Science, Space, and Technology | $29.5 billion | 0.8% |
| Community and Regional Development | $21.6 billion | 0.6% |
| Agriculture | $20.2 billion | 0.5% |
| General Government | $16.9 billion | 0.4% |
| Energy | $6.9 billion | 0.2% |
| Undistributed Offsetting Receipts | -$115.8 billion | – |
| Commerce and Housing Credit | -$38.3 billion | – |
Shares are of the positive function lines. Negative lines are receipts netted against spending (for example, agencies' receipts from employee retirement contributions and offshore oil leases).
The largest function was Social Security ($887.8 billion, 23.1% of gross function spending), followed by National Defense (15.4%), Medicare (14.2%), Income Security (13.3%). Individual income taxes brought in $1.54 trillion, 47.4% of all receipts.
Where the money came from
| Source | Receipts | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Individual Income Taxes | $1.54 trillion | 47.4% |
| Employment and General Retirement | $1.01 trillion | 31.1% |
| Corporation Income Taxes | $343.8 billion | 10.6% |
| Miscellaneous Receipts | $146.3 billion | 4.5% |
| Excise Taxes | $98.3 billion | 3.0% |
| Unemployment Insurance | $51.2 billion | 1.6% |
| Customs Duties | $35.0 billion | 1.1% |
| Estate and Gift Taxes | $19.2 billion | 0.6% |
| Other Retirement | $3.7 billion | 0.1% |
Foreign aid in FY2015
US agencies obligated $50.0 billion in foreign assistance in FY2015, of which USAID managed $19.4 billion.
See how your own federal tax splits across this spending
Questions and answers
- How much did the federal government spend in 2015?
- $3.69 trillion in fiscal year 2015 (October 2014 to September 2015), according to the Monthly Treasury Statement.
- What was the biggest federal expense in 2015?
- Social Security: $887.8 billion.
- What was the federal deficit in 2015?
- Receipts were $3.25 trillion and outlays $3.69 trillion, so the deficit was $438.9 billion.
Sources and notes
- U.S. Department of the Treasury, Monthly Treasury Statement, Table 9, fiscal year to date as of 2015-09-30 (Fiscal Data API). Public domain.
- State figures: USAspending.gov, retrieved 2026-10-04.