Spending 1
Historical trends of federal spending, by category, as a percentage of GDP, 1969—2018
| Year | Social Security | Medicare | Medicaid | Other safety net and social insurance | Aid to states | Defense | Operating expenses (nondefense) | Investment in infrastructure, R&D, etc. (nondefense) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1969 | 2.70% | 0.60% | 0.20% | 1.60% | 1.10% | 10.20% | 1.70% | 1.10% |
| 1970 | 2.80% | 0.60% | 0.30% | 2.00% | 1.40% | 9.60% | 1.90% | 1.10% |
| 1971 | 3.10% | 0.70% | 0.30% | 2.30% | 1.60% | 8.70% | 2.10% | 1.10% |
| 1972 | 3.20% | 0.70% | 0.40% | 2.20% | 1.80% | 8.10% | 2.20% | 1.00% |
| 1973 | 3.50% | 0.70% | 0.30% | 2.30% | 2.20% | 7.40% | 2.10% | 1.00% |
| 1974 | 3.60% | 0.70% | 0.40% | 2.30% | 1.90% | 7.10% | 2.10% | 1.00% |
| 1975 | 3.90% | 0.90% | 0.40% | 3.20% | 2.10% | 7.00% | 2.30% | 1.00% |
| 1976 | 4.00% | 0.90% | 0.50% | 3.10% | 2.10% | 6.80% | 2.20% | 1.00% |
| 1977 | 4.10% | 1.00% | 0.50% | 2.50% | 2.20% | 6.60% | 2.10% | 1.00% |
| 1978 | 4.10% | 1.10% | 0.50% | 2.30% | 2.20% | 6.30% | 2.10% | 1.00% |
| 1979 | 4.00% | 1.10% | 0.50% | 2.10% | 2.00% | 6.10% | 2.00% | 1.00% |
| 1980 | 4.20% | 1.20% | 0.50% | 2.40% | 1.90% | 6.40% | 2.10% | 1.00% |
| 1981 | 4.40% | 1.30% | 0.50% | 2.40% | 1.70% | 6.60% | 2.10% | 1.00% |
| 1982 | 4.60% | 1.50% | 0.50% | 2.50% | 1.50% | 7.20% | 2.10% | 1.00% |
| 1983 | 4.80% | 1.60% | 0.50% | 2.80% | 1.40% | 7.50% | 2.20% | 0.90% |
| 1984 | 4.50% | 1.50% | 0.50% | 2.30% | 1.30% | 7.40% | 1.90% | 0.90% |
| 1985 | 4.40% | 1.60% | 0.50% | 2.00% | 1.20% | 7.60% | 2.00% | 0.90% |
| 1986 | 4.30% | 1.60% | 0.60% | 2.00% | 1.30% | 7.70% | 2.00% | 0.80% |
| 1987 | 4.30% | 1.70% | 0.60% | 2.10% | 1.10% | 7.70% | 1.90% | 0.90% |
| 1988 | 4.20% | 1.70% | 0.60% | 1.90% | 1.00% | 7.40% | 1.70% | 0.80% |
| 1989 | 4.10% | 1.70% | 0.60% | 1.90% | 1.00% | 7.00% | 1.70% | 0.80% |
| 1990 | 4.20% | 1.80% | 0.70% | 1.90% | 1.00% | 6.80% | 1.80% | 0.80% |
| 1991 | 4.40% | 1.90% | 0.90% | 2.10% | 1.10% | 6.80% | 1.80% | 0.90% |
| 1992 | 4.40% | 2.00% | 1.10% | 2.40% | 1.10% | 6.30% | 1.90% | 0.90% |
| 1993 | 4.50% | 2.10% | 1.10% | 2.50% | 1.10% | 5.80% | 1.90% | 0.90% |
| 1994 | 4.40% | 2.20% | 1.10% | 2.20% | 1.20% | 5.40% | 1.80% | 0.80% |
| 1995 | 4.40% | 2.30% | 1.20% | 2.10% | 1.10% | 5.00% | 1.80% | 0.80% |
| 1996 | 4.40% | 2.40% | 1.20% | 2.10% | 1.10% | 4.70% | 1.70% | 0.80% |
| 1997 | 4.30% | 2.50% | 1.10% | 2.00% | 1.00% | 4.40% | 1.70% | 0.80% |
| 1998 | 4.20% | 2.40% | 1.10% | 1.90% | 1.10% | 4.10% | 1.60% | 0.80% |
| 1999 | 4.10% | 2.20% | 1.10% | 1.90% | 1.10% | 3.90% | 1.60% | 0.80% |
| 2000 | 4.00% | 2.10% | 1.20% | 1.80% | 1.10% | 3.90% | 1.60% | 0.70% |
| 2001 | 4.10% | 2.30% | 1.20% | 2.00% | 1.20% | 3.80% | 1.70% | 0.70% |
| 2002 | 4.20% | 2.30% | 1.40% | 2.20% | 1.20% | 4.10% | 1.80% | 0.70% |
| 2003 | 4.20% | 2.40% | 1.40% | 2.30% | 1.30% | 4.50% | 1.90% | 0.70% |
| 2004 | 4.10% | 2.50% | 1.50% | 2.20% | 1.30% | 4.70% | 1.90% | 0.70% |
| 2005 | 4.00% | 2.60% | 1.40% | 2.10% | 1.30% | 4.70% | 1.90% | 0.70% |
| 2006 | 4.00% | 2.80% | 1.30% | 2.20% | 1.20% | 4.60% | 1.90% | 0.70% |
| 2007 | 4.10% | 3.10% | 1.30% | 1.90% | 1.10% | 4.60% | 1.90% | 0.70% |
| 2008 | 4.20% | 3.10% | 1.40% | 2.80% | 1.10% | 5.00% | 2.00% | 0.70% |
| 2009 | 4.70% | 3.50% | 1.70% | 3.00% | 1.30% | 5.40% | 2.20% | 0.70% |
| 2010 | 4.70% | 3.50% | 1.80% | 3.80% | 1.50% | 5.50% | 2.30% | 0.80% |
| 2011 | 4.70% | 3.60% | 1.80% | 3.50% | 1.40% | 5.40% | 2.20% | 0.80% |
| 2012 | 4.80% | 3.40% | 1.60% | 3.20% | 1.20% | 5.10% | 2.20% | 0.80% |
| 2013 | 4.90% | 3.50% | 1.60% | 2.90% | 1.10% | 4.60% | 2.10% | 0.70% |
| 2014 | 4.90% | 3.50% | 1.70% | 2.70% | 1.00% | 4.30% | 2.00% | 0.70% |
| 2015 | 4.90% | 3.50% | 1.90% | 2.70% | 1.00% | 4.00% | 2.00% | 0.70% |
| 2016 | 4.90% | 3.70% | 2.00% | 2.50% | 1.00% | 4.00% | 2.00% | 0.70% |
| 2017 | 4.90% | 3.60% | 1.90% | 2.60% | 1.00% | 3.90% | 2.00% | 0.70% |
| 2018 | 4.90% | 3.50% | 1.90% | 2.60% | 0.90% | 3.80% | 2.00% | 0.60% |
Note: Safety net and social insurance spending includes spending on such things as food stamps and unemployment benefits. Operating expenses include spending on workers at government agencies and in national parks, etc. Aid to states includes funds the federal government gives to states to pay for programs such as x and y. It does not include funds that the federal government passes through to states for Medicaid. Investment in infrastructure, R&D, etc., xxxxxx.
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