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US federal deficit, 2014 to 2026

US federal deficit, from the US Treasury's Fiscal Data service. · updated Jul 2026

About this statistic

US federal deficit stood at $93.3B in 2026, down 84.7% on the previous period.

The latest reading is $608.3 billion, for May 2026, against -$473.4 billion the period before. The data comes directly from the US Treasury's Fiscal Data service, the government's own ledger, and runs from April 2014.

How it is measured

The federal budget deficit by month: outlays minus receipts, from the Treasury's Monthly Treasury Statement. Positive values here are deficits. Months differ wildly by design; April often runs a surplus as tax payments arrive, while months with quarterly benefit or interest payments run deep.

What the curve shows

The latest month's deficit is $608.3 billion, within a window from -$473.4 billion (April 2026) to $864.1 billion (June 2020). The monthly shape repeats every fiscal year; what matters is whether the whole waveform drifts deeper over time.

Frequently asked questions
Why does one month sometimes show a surplus?
Tax timing. April's filing deadline and quarterly estimated-tax months bring receipt surges that can exceed that month's outlays, even in years with large annual deficits.
How does this relate to the debt?
Deficits accumulate into debt: each month's gap must be financed by new borrowing. The debt series is the integral of this one, plus some financing technicalities.
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US federal deficit — Kitegraph