2009 Federal Revenue and Spending Book of Charts

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If Tax Revenue Is Held At Historical Levels, Total Spending Could Reach 67 Percent of GDP

Historically, tax revenues have hovered around 18.4 percent of GDP. If taxes are kept at these levels, spending from the three major entitlements, Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid, will push spending levels to unsustainable heights, crowding out all other programs by 2052.

Federal Spending and Revenue as a Percentage of GDP

Source: Heritage Foundation calculations based on White House Office of Management and Budget and Congressional Budget Office data.

Key Research:

Entitlements

The Long-Term Entitlement Spending and Deficit Problem Could Be Resolved Without Tax Increases	Entitlement Spending Will More Than Double by 2050	Entitlements Alone Will Eclipse Historical Tax Levels by 2052	If Tax Revenue Is Held At Historical Levels, Total Spending Could Reach 67 Percent of GDP	Obama's Budget Ignores Entitlement Crisis
The Ratio of Workers to Social Security Beneficiaries Is Declining	Repealing Tax Cuts and Not Fixing AMT Won't Balance the Budget	Social Security Spending Soon to Rise Rapidly	Tax Rates Would Need to More Than Double If Entitlements Are Not Reformed