Federal Deficit as % of GDP

Annual fiscal balance — negative values show spending exceeding revenue. Structural deficits above 3% compound debt.

Exclude COVID

-5.8%

Trend YoY growth is +0.4%, accelerating by 6 bps/year over the last 24Y. Latest: +0.4%, 6 bps above trend, a 0.0σ deviation.

Level

YoY Change

y = −1.0% + 6 bps/yr · t

Deviation from trend

Forecast

Projected value by forecast vintage (%)

Projected value (%)

Forecast made in201820192020202120222023202420252026202720282029MAPE
2018-3.8-4.9-6.1-16.4-14.0-8.0-9.2-9.7-9.6-13.9-18.6-23.6553%
2019-4.6-5.5-15.6-13.0-6.8-7.8-8.1-7.9-10.2-12.7-15.4365%
2020-14.5-22.6-21.7-17.2-19.9-21.9-23.4-42.8-64.2-87.53264%
2021-11.7-14.4-8.3-9.5-9.9-9.9-14.3-19.0-24.1978%
2022-5.3-0.50.42.04.215.829.244.32538%
2023-6.1-1.6-0.11.911.322.334.92402%
2024-6.2-1.70.38.017.328.2947%
2025-5.8-7.4-10.2-14.1-19.1
2026-7.4-10.2-14.1-19.1

YoY change forecast

Forecast made in201820192020202120222023202420252026202720282029MAPE
2018-0.4%-1.1%-1.5%-1.9%-2.3%-2.7%-3.1%-3.5%-3.9%-4.3%-4.6%-5.0%553%
2019-0.8%-0.9%-1.1%-1.3%-1.5%-1.7%-1.9%-2.1%-2.3%-2.5%-2.7%365%
2020-9.9%-8.1%-10.0%-11.9%-13.8%-15.7%-17.6%-19.5%-21.4%-23.3%3264%
2021+2.8%-2.7%-3.1%-3.4%-3.7%-4.1%-4.4%-4.8%-5.1%978%
2022+6.4%+4.8%+6.5%+8.2%+9.9%+11.7%+13.4%+15.1%2538%
2023-0.8%+4.4%+6.1%+7.7%+9.4%+11.0%+12.6%2402%
2024-0.1%+4.5%+6.1%+7.7%+9.3%+10.9%947%
2025+0.4%-1.6%-2.8%-3.9%-5.0%
2026-1.6%-2.8%-3.9%-5.0%

Forecasts use ordinary least-squares linear regression fitted to the YoY change series over a rolling 5Y window. Each row shows a vintage — the forecast as it would have appeared at that point in time. Projected values apply the forecasted YoY change to the prior year's level, chaining forward where actuals are unavailable. MAPE measures forecast accuracy against realized values. These are mechanical trend extrapolations, not economic models.