US federal budgetOctober 2017 to September 2018
Federal spending in 2018
The federal government spent $4.11 trillion in FY2018 and took in $3.33 trillion, so it borrowed 19¢ of every dollar it spent.In fiscal year 2018 (October 2017 to September 2018) the federal government spent $4.11 trillion and took in $3.33 trillion, leaving a deficit of $779.0 billion.
Spending by function
Where each dollar went in FY2018
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 | $987.8 billion | 23.4% |
| National Defense | $664.7 billion | 15.8% |
| Medicare | $588.7 billion | 14.0% |
| Health | $518.5 billion | 12.3% |
| Income Security | $495.8 billion | 11.8% |
| Net Interest | $324.7 billion | 7.7% |
| Veterans Benefits and Services | $178.9 billion | 4.2% |
| Education, Training, Employment, and Social Services | $93.9 billion | 2.2% |
| Transportation | $93.2 billion | 2.2% |
| Administration of Justice | $61.5 billion | 1.5% |
| International Affairs | $49.0 billion | 1.2% |
| Community and Regional Development | $44.3 billion | 1.0% |
| Natural Resources and Environment | $37.3 billion | 0.9% |
| General Science, Space, and Technology | $31.6 billion | 0.7% |
| Agriculture | $23.7 billion | 0.6% |
| General Government | $19.8 billion | 0.5% |
| Energy | $2.2 billion | 0.1% |
| Commerce and Housing Credit | -$9.9 billion | – |
| Undistributed Offsetting Receipts | -$97.9 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).
Outlays were up 3.2% on FY2017 ($3.98 trillion). The largest function was Social Security ($987.8 billion, 23.4% of gross function spending), followed by National Defense (15.8%), Medicare (14.0%), Health (12.3%). Individual income taxes brought in $1.68 trillion, 50.6% of all receipts.
Where the money came from
| Source | Receipts | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Individual Income Taxes | $1.68 trillion | 50.6% |
| Employment and General Retirement | $1.12 trillion | 33.7% |
| Corporation Income Taxes | $204.7 billion | 6.2% |
| Miscellaneous Receipts | $110.5 billion | 3.3% |
| Excise Taxes | $95.0 billion | 2.9% |
| Unemployment Insurance | $45.0 billion | 1.4% |
| Customs Duties | $41.3 billion | 1.2% |
| Estate and Gift Taxes | $23.0 billion | 0.7% |
| Other Retirement | $4.5 billion | 0.1% |
Federal awards by state, FY2018
Contracts, grants, loans and direct payments by place of performance, from USAspending.gov, excluding Medicare. Select a column heading to sort.
| State | Awards | Per resident |
|---|---|---|
| California | $290.8B | – |
| Texas | $201.7B | – |
| New York | $164.2B | – |
| Florida | $152.7B | – |
| Pennsylvania | $107.4B | – |
| Virginia | $106.2B | – |
| Illinois | $85.0B | – |
| Ohio | $82.0B | – |
| Michigan | $76.6B | – |
| Maryland | $70.8B | – |
| North Carolina | $70.7B | – |
| Georgia | $67.6B | – |
| Massachusetts | $64.7B | – |
| Arizona | $62.2B | – |
| New Jersey | $60.3B | – |
| Washington | $59.4B | – |
| Missouri | $56.1B | – |
| Tennessee | $51.4B | – |
| Alabama | $47.5B | – |
| Indiana | $47.3B | – |
| Kentucky | $40.8B | – |
| Colorado | $40.8B | – |
| Wisconsin | $40.0B | – |
| South Carolina | $39.9B | – |
| Minnesota | $39.3B | – |
| Connecticut | $38.9B | – |
| Louisiana | $36.4B | – |
| District of Columbia | $34.5B | – |
| Puerto Rico | $32.5B | – |
| Oregon | $31.9B | – |
| Mississippi | $29.8B | – |
| Oklahoma | $29.8B | – |
| New Mexico | $25.6B | – |
| Arkansas | $23.9B | – |
| Iowa | $22.4B | – |
| Nevada | $20.0B | – |
| Kansas | $18.7B | – |
| West Virginia | $17.0B | – |
| Utah | $15.7B | – |
| Idaho | $12.7B | – |
| Nebraska | $12.6B | – |
| Hawaii | $11.8B | – |
| Maine | $11.7B | – |
| New Hampshire | $11.2B | – |
| Alaska | $9.8B | – |
| Montana | $9.5B | – |
| Rhode Island | $9.0B | – |
| Delaware | $7.5B | – |
| South Dakota | $7.2B | – |
| North Dakota | $6.1B | – |
| Vermont | $5.6B | – |
| Wyoming | $4.4B | – |
| U.S. Virgin Islands | $2.7B | – |
| Guam | $1.7B | – |
| American Samoa | $343.0M | – |
| Northern Mariana Islands | $296.5M | – |
Foreign aid in FY2018
US agencies obligated $47.9 billion in foreign assistance in FY2018, of which USAID managed $20.1 billion.
See how your own federal tax splits across this spending
Questions and answers
- How much did the federal government spend in 2018?
- $4.11 trillion in fiscal year 2018 (October 2017 to September 2018), according to the Monthly Treasury Statement.
- What was the biggest federal expense in 2018?
- Social Security: $987.8 billion.
- What was the federal deficit in 2018?
- Receipts were $3.33 trillion and outlays $4.11 trillion, so the deficit was $779.0 billion.
Sources and notes
- U.S. Department of the Treasury, Monthly Treasury Statement, Table 9, fiscal year to date as of 2018-09-30 (Fiscal Data API). Public domain.
- State figures: USAspending.gov, retrieved 2026-10-04.