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Entitlement Spending

Pie chart showing entitlement spending of 51% compared to other spending of 49%.

Entitlement spending totaled 51% of federal expenditures in fiscal year 2024, down from 66% in 2021 at the height of the Coronavirus pandemic. Entitlement programs include welfare programs, Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, Unemployment, and Coronavirus relief programs such as individual and business support payments (See Entitlement Programs Page).

Federal Spending In Fiscal Years 2022 through 2024, In Billions

Chart showing the details of entitlement and other federal spending for the fiscal years 2022 through 2024.
Pie chart showing the makeup of the key portions of the federal budget, including entitlement spending.

The table above shows total federal spending in billions of dollars for the past three fiscal years (“FY”).  The federal government’s fiscal year ends on September 30 of each year. The chart includes entitlement spending and its share of total federal spending.  Costs for 2024 may still be adjusted over the next several months as the government reports final numbers.

The pie chart to the right shows the makeup of spending in fiscal year 2024.

Here is the following information:

  • The definition of an entitlement program.
  • The definition of means-testing and contributory programs.
  • The distinction between one-time legislation and ongoing programs.
Entitlement Programs

Here is the following information:

  • The definition of welfare programs.
  • The breakout of spending by individual welfare programs that make up the welfare portion of entitlement spending.
  • Information on the various welfare programs
Welfare Budget

Entitlement Spending Over the Past Ten Years

Line graph showing total federal spending and entitlement spending from 2014 through 2024.

Total federal outlays increased by over two trillion in 2020 and 2021, generally due to Coronavirus relief payments. The principal makeup of this increase was entitlement spending from direct relief payments to citizens as well as unemployment costs and increases in welfare expenditures (such as SNAP, Housing, and Child Tax Credit). The growth of over $4.5 trillion in spending for 2020 and 2021 compared to 2019 is an unprecedented increase in federal outlays for emergencies other than war funding.

Costs fell in 2022 as Coronavirus payments declined. Still, federal spending in 2022, 2023, and 2024 has remained well above 2019 pre-pandemic levels. The deficits for 2020 and 2021 were $3.1 and $2.8 trillion, so the entire Coronavirus relief effort was financed by debt. The deficits in FY 2022 through 2024 totaled $1.4, $1.7, and $1.8 trillion, respectively.

Chart showing per capita entitlement spending from 2014 - 2024.

The graph to the right shows entitlement spending per capita, which is calculated by dividing total entitlement costs by the country’s population. Per Capita expenditure increased from $6,729 in 2014 to $10,197 in 2024, an over 50% increase.

Data from USGovernmentSpending.com [Internet].   Retrieved March 6, 2025.     Available here.  

See also Welfare Budget Page.