Where Your Money Goes: Budget Functions
The federal budget is organized into 18 major categories. Here's how $10.3 trillion breaks down.
All 18 Budget Functions by FY2025 Spending
Budget Functions at a Glance
| # | Rank | Budget Function | FY2025 Spending↓ | Growth Since 2017 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Medicare | $1.8T | 75.5% |
| 2 | 2 | Social Security | $1.7T | 67.4% |
| 3 | 3 | National Defense | $1.4T | 52.1% |
| 4 | 4 | Net Interest | $1.3T | 165.7% |
| 5 | 5 | Health | $1.1T | 71.3% |
| 6 | 6 | Income Security | $759.0B | 41.8% |
| 7 | 7 | General Government | $511.4B | 25.4% |
| 8 | 8 | Veterans Benefits and Services | $413.3B | 114.7% |
| 9 | 9 | Education, Training, Employment, and Social Services | $221.5B | 26.9% |
| 10 | 10 | Transportation | $197.8B | 79.3% |
| 11 | 11 | Natural Resources and Environment | $133.4B | 100.8% |
| 12 | 12 | Administration of Justice | $115.4B | 56.2% |
| 13 | 13 | Community and Regional Development | $106.5B | 145.9% |
| 14 | 14 | Commerce and Housing Credit | $95.9B | 85.9% |
| 15 | 15 | Agriculture | $73.4B | 317.8% |
| 16 | 16 | International Affairs | $71.6B | -37.9% |
| 17 | 17 | Energy | $63.2B | 342.1% |
| 18 | 18 | General Science, Space, and Technology | $47.6B | 32.9% |
Showing 18 of 18 results
Key Insight
Medicare grew 75% since 2017. Net Interest grew 166% — the fastest-growing major category. Meanwhile, Agriculture (+318%) and Energy (+342%) saw the largest percentage jumps among smaller categories.