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How big is the US budget deficit in fiscal year 2026?

In fiscal year 2026 through , the federal government ran a deficit of $1.97 trillion: receipts of $4.85 trillion against outlays of $6.81 trillion, a deficit 0.4% less than in the same months a year earlier.

Deficit this fiscal year

$1.97 trillion

Receipts

$4.85 trillion

Outlays

$6.81 trillion

Fiscal year 2026 to 31 August 2026

Receipts, outlays and the deficit ($ million; a negative deficit is a surplus)
MeasureThis fiscal yearSame months a year earlier
Receipts4,845,4534,690,952
Outlays6,811,0456,664,261
Deficit1,965,5901,973,309
Months counted11
What this number cannot tell you
  • The deficit is Treasury's published line, so it can differ from outlays less receipts by rounding.
  • Single months swing with tax dates and with payments shifted when the first of a month falls on a weekend; compare fiscal years to date, not months.

Receipts and outlays each month

The Monthly Treasury Statement, by month ($ million)
MonthReceiptsOutlaysDeficit
August 2026360,033526,830166,797
July 2026334,010766,296432,286
June 2026495,761616,067120,305
May 2026335,512628,161292,648
April 2026837,343622,319−215,024
March 2026384,863548,963164,100
February 2026313,122620,623307,501
January 2026560,052654,66794,615
December 2025484,384629,136144,752
November 2025336,002509,279173,277
Show 14 more rows
MonthReceiptsOutlaysDeficit
October 2025404,371688,704284,333
September 2025543,663345,725−197,938
August 2025344,315689,107344,792
July 2025338,492629,635291,143
June 2025526,445499,435−27,010
May 2025371,229686,881315,652
April 2025850,169591,769−258,400
March 2025367,645528,174160,530
February 2025296,424603,441307,017
January 2025513,294641,935128,640
December 2024454,415541,14686,732
November 2024301,754668,517366,763
October 2024326,770584,221257,450
September 2024526,990446,701−80,289

The deficit by fiscal year

Receipts, outlays and the deficit by fiscal year ($ million; partial years say so)
Fiscal yearMonthsReceiptsOutlaysDeficit
2026 (partial)114,845,4536,811,0451,965,590
2025125,234,6157,009,9861,775,371
2024124,918,1076,734,6271,816,790
2023124,439,2856,134,5261,695,239
2022124,896,1196,271,6011,375,492
2021124,045,9806,821,5552,775,574
2020123,419,9556,551,8713,131,917
2019123,462,1954,446,584984,386
2018123,328,7454,107,741778,994
2017123,314,8933,980,722665,827
Show 36 more rows
Fiscal yearMonthsReceiptsOutlaysDeficit
2016123,266,7743,854,104587,330
2015123,248,7003,685,240436,540
2014123,020,3713,503,731483,363
2013122,774,0133,454,224680,211
2012122,449,0923,538,2871,089,193
2011122,302,4953,599,2881,296,794
2010122,161,7453,455,9481,294,204
2009122,104,3633,520,0871,415,725
2008122,523,6412,978,440454,796
2007122,567,6742,729,198161,527
2006122,406,6762,654,872248,199
2005122,153,3502,472,095318,746
2004121,879,7832,292,627412,845
2003121,782,1062,159,247377,139
2002121,853,2252,011,017157,791
2001121,991,0461,863,769−127,274
2000122,025,0611,788,140−236,917
1999121,827,3031,702,942−124,359
1998121,721,4661,652,222−69,243
1997121,578,9541,600,91121,955
1996121,452,6841,560,311107,625
1995121,351,4961,515,412163,916
1994121,257,4511,460,552203,101
1993121,153,2271,408,532255,305
1992121,090,4541,380,793290,339
1991121,054,2661,323,756269,492
1990121,031,3071,251,774220,470
198912990,7011,144,020153,320
198812908,1661,063,317155,151
198712854,1421,003,804149,662
198612769,091990,231221,141
198512734,051945,983211,933
198412666,456841,798175,340
198312600,562795,917195,354
198212618,969729,627110,656
198112599,272657,20457,932

The table scrolls sideways; the first column stays in place.

What does the Congressional Budget Office project?

All projections
  • Deficit in fiscal year 2026: $1.85 trillion, in CBO's February 2026 baseline (source).
  • Deficit in fiscal year 2027: $1.89 trillion, in CBO's February 2026 baseline (source).

Source: U.S. Treasury, Fiscal Data, Monthly Treasury Statement. Observed .

Observed
Checked by us
Next expected
Sources and licence

Sources and licence

  • U.S. Treasury, Bureau of the Fiscal Service, Fiscal Data (source). Licence: Public domain, a work of the US federal government
  • Congressional Budget Office (source). Licence: Public domain, a work of the US federal government

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