Federal Deficit and Debt: September 2018

Every month the U.S. Treasury releases data on the federal budget, including the current deficit. Here is the data for September 2018, which includes data for all of Fiscal Year 2018.

See the latest figures.

Federal Deficit: September 2018

Federal debt is on an unsustainable path

  • Federal Budget Surplus for September 2018: $119 billion
  • Federal Budget Surplus for September 2017: $8 billion

The surplus for September 2018 is more than $60 billion higher than it otherwise would have been. Spending that normally would have occurred in September was shifted forward into August since the regularly scheduled payment dates fell on a weekend or holiday.

Cumulative Federal Deficit Through September 2018

The budget deficit has grown rapidly in the first ten months of fiscal year 2018

  • Cumulative FY18 Deficit: $779 billion
  • Cumulative FY17 Deficit: $666 billion

The rapid growth of the deficit this year is likely the leading edge of continued growth in future deficits and an indication of the harmful fiscal effects of policies enacted over the previous several months.

National Debt Through September 2018

The national debt is on an unsustainable path

  • Debt Held by Public through Fiscal Year 2018: $15.8 trillion
  • Debt Held by Public through Fiscal Year 2017: $14.7 trillion

Solutions Initiative 2024

Seven think tanks from across the ideological spectrum all agree that we are on an unsustainable fiscal path, and we need to change course.

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National Debt Clock

See the latest numbers and learn more about the causes of our high and rising debt.

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