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U.S. Federal Government Budget as a Percent of GDP Over Time
So What?
1) This chart was created from historical tables included in the U.S. Federal Government fiscal year 2010 budget. The federal
government adjusted its fiscal year one calendar quarter (3 months) during 1976, creating a 'transition quarter,' which has been
neglected in this chart.
2) The chart shows the total federal budget, or how much it spent during each fiscal year - from 1962 to 2008, with projections
through 2014, as a percentage of the total Gross Domestic Product (GDP), or the total economic output of the United States.
3) Gross Domestic Product numbers were also collected from historical tables included in the fiscal 2010 U.S. Federal
Government budget.
4) From this chart, one can see that the U.S. Federal Government budget has varied between a low of about 17% of GDP in the
mid-1960s to a high of about 23% of GDP in the early 1980s until the projected surge to nearly 28% of GDP in 2009.
5) See the graph of the U.S. Federal Government Budget in current dollars and corrected for inflation.
6) See also the graph of the U.S. Federal Government Budget per U.S. Resident Over Time.
Supporting Evidence
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