Net Federal Outlays

Total federal spending — the expenditure side of the fiscal equation.

Exclude COVID

$7.4T

Trend YoY growth is +25.1%, slowing by 5 bps/year over the last 22Y. Latest: +17.9%, 7.2 pp below trend, a 0.34σ deviation. The latest YoY reading is boosted by 22.4 pp due to an easy comparison base from Sep 30.

Level

YoY %

y = 26.3% − 5 bps/yr · t

Deviation from trend

Forecast

Projected value by forecast vintage ($M)

Projected value ($M)

Forecast made in201920202021202220232024202520262027202820292030MAPE
2019$4.4T$5.6T$8.5T$9.2T$8.7T$8.8T$10.0T$10.7T$11.6T$18.7T$31.0T$52.8T470%
2020$6.6T$10.7T$12.0T$11.8T$12.4T$14.5T$15.9T$17.7T$44.7T$118.5T$328.9T1332%
2021$6.8T$12.8T$12.8T$13.5T$16.0T$17.7T$19.9T$57.0T$172.5T$550.2T1917%
2022$6.3T$11.4T$11.9T$13.9T$15.3T$17.1T$41.4T$105.6T$282.1T1836%
2023$6.1T$9.5T$10.6T$11.2T$11.9T$19.3T$31.8T$52.8T1298%
2024$6.8T$6.6T$5.7T$4.8T$2.3T$716.6B$104.0B186%
2025$7.0T$5.5T$4.5T$1.9T$430.9B$19.2B217%
2026$7.4T$6.8T$5.6T$4.0T$2.4T
2027$6.8T$5.6T$4.0T$2.4T

YoY change forecast

Forecast made in201920202021202220232024202520262027202820292030MAPE
2019+20.6%+25.9%+30.3%+34.7%+39.2%+43.6%+48.0%+52.5%+56.9%+61.3%+65.8%+70.2%470%
2020+70.0%+63.5%+76.2%+88.8%+101.6%+114.2%+126.9%+139.6%+152.3%+165.0%+177.7%1332%
2021+71.3%+87.0%+103.5%+120.0%+136.5%+153.0%+169.5%+186.0%+202.5%+219.0%1917%
2022+52.7%+81.9%+94.1%+106.3%+118.4%+130.6%+142.8%+155.0%+167.2%1836%
2023+38.0%+55.6%+57.4%+59.1%+60.9%+62.6%+64.4%+66.1%1298%
2024+3.0%-1.9%-18.6%-35.3%-52.1%-68.8%-85.5%186%
2025+2.8%-20.9%-39.6%-58.3%-76.9%-95.5%217%
2026+17.9%-7.7%-18.2%-28.6%-39.1%
2027-7.7%-18.2%-28.6%-39.1%

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.