Federal Deficit and Debt: November 2018

Every month the U.S. Treasury releases data on the federal budget, including the current deficit. Here is the data for November 2018, which was the second month of fiscal year 2019.

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Federal Deficit: November 2018

• Federal Budget Deficit for November 2018: $205 billion
• Federal Budget Deficit for November 2017: $139 billion

The deficit for November 2018 was $66 billion more than it was in November 2017. Most of that difference was caused by shifts in the timing of certain federal payments that increased outlays in November 2018. Without those shifts, the November 2018 deficit would have been about $20 billion more than it was a year ago.

Cumulative Federal Deficit through November 2018

• Cumulative FY19 Deficit through November 2018: $305 billion
• Cumulative Budget Deficit over Same Period in FY18: $202 billion

The cumulative deficit through the first two months of FY19 was $104 billion larger than it was through the first two months of FY18. Most of that difference was caused by two separate shifts in the timing of payments — one that increased the size of the November 2018 deficit, and one that reduced the size of the October 2017 deficit. Without those timing shifts, the deficit during the first two months of FY19 would have been about $15 billion more than it was during the first two months of FY18.

National Debt through November 2018

• Debt Held by the Public through November 2018: $16.0 trillion
• Debt Held by the Public through November 2017: $14.9 trillion