Government spending

USA Facts - 

• Twenty-two percent of the total federal budget — $1.35 trillion — was for Social Security. The main groups that received these benefits are people of retirement age (who were awarded $1.15 trillion), people with disabilities ($150.9 billion), and survivors of deceased spouses or children ($50.9 billion).  
  
  
• In December 2023, 67.1 million people received monthly Social Security benefits, including 50.1 million retired workers and 7.4 million disabled workers, plus these groups’ dependents. It also included 5.8 million survivors. 

• Government healthcare plans were also among the largest aspects of mandatory spending. Medicare accounted for $848 billion, while Medicaid accounted for $616 billion. 

• Everything in the federal budget that isn’t mandatory spending is called discretionary spending, which amounted to $1.7 trillion last year. Unlike mandatory spending, these categories have more flexible budgets and are subject to congressional appropriations. 
  
  
• The US spent $806 billion on defense, the biggest discretionary category, with $317 billion of that supporting acquiring and maintaining new weapons systems. About $173 billion covered military personnel pay and benefits. Another $142 billion covered modifying/procuring new aircraft, armored vehicles, satellites, and more. 
  
  
• The largest non-defense aspect of discretionary spending is still military-related: $131 billion for veterans’ benefits. Second to that was funding for education, including special education, adult education, and financial aid at $125 billion. Another $115 billion went to transportation projects.