Federal Deficit and Debt: December 2018

Every month the U.S. Treasury releases data on the federal budget, including the current deficit. However, Treasury’s data for December 2018 were delayed due to a partial shutdown of the federal government. As a result, this page was updated using an estimate from the Congressional Budget Office. The following contains budget data for December 2018, which was the third month of fiscal year 2019.

See the latest figures.


Federal Deficit: December 2018

The federal government ran a deficit in the first two months of Fiscal Year 2019

  • Federal Budget Deficit for December 2018: $11 billion
  • Federal Budget Deficit for December 2017: $23 billion

The deficit for December 2018 was $12 billion smaller than recorded in December 2017. However, shifts in the timing of certain federal payments diminished the size of that change. Without those shifts, the December 2018 deficit would have been $32 billion larger than it was a year ago.


Cumulative Federal Deficit through December 2018

After the first two months of Fiscal Year 2019, the budget deficit was $306 billion

  • Cumulative FY19 Deficit through December 2018: $317 billion
  • Cumulative Budget Deficit over Same Period in FY18: $225 billion

The cumulative deficit through the first three months of FY19 was $92 billion larger than it was through the first three months of FY18. However, shifts in the timing of certain federal payments had an effect on the growth in the deficit. Without those timing shifts, the deficit during the first three months of FY19 would have been $47 billion more than it was during the first three months of FY18.


National Debt through December 2018

The national debt is on an unsustainable path

  • Debt Held by the Public through December 2018: $16.1 trillion
  • Debt Held by the Public through December 2017: $14.8 trillion

While the deficit varies from month-to-month, and may even decline some months — for example, in April when taxpayers are submitting their personal income taxes — debt and deficits are on an unsustainable upward trajectory. The CBO projects that national debt could rise to about 150 percent of gross domestic product by 2048. That level of debt would far exceed the 50-year historical average of approximately 40% of GDP.

Why are such high-levels of debt so concerning? There are many reasons that Americans should be concerned about the rising national debt — particularly if you are concerned about economic growth, investments in our nation’s future, and preservation of our social safety net.

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.

National Debt Clock

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