



For the majority of functions, federal spending has remained at a consistent percentage of total spending. However, for the big five--national defense, health, medicare, social security, and income security--spending has fluctuated quite drastically (both positively and negatively) over the past fifty years.





Below each function is highlighted in a separate graph. I've provided a list of sub-functions that make up the spending within the larger function along with the maximum/minimum percentages of total spending for that function.





National Defense (Function 050)









Sub-functions:

- 051: Department of Defense (Military)

- 053: Atomic energy defense activities

- 054: Defense-related activities





High Percentage: 46.7% (1962)

Low Percentage: 15.5%









International Affairs (Function 150)









Sub-functions:

- 151: International development and humanitarian assistance

- 152: International security assistance

- 153: Conduct of foreign affairs

- 154: Foreign information and exchange activities

- 155: International financial programs





High Percentage: 5.0% (1962)

Low Percentage: 0.8%









General Science, Space, and Technology (Function 250)









Sub-functions:

- 251: General science and basic research

- 252: Space flight, research, and supporting activities





High Percentage: 4.8% (1966)

Low Percentage: 0.8%









Energy (Function 270)









Sub-functions:

- 271: Energy supply

- 272: Energy conservation

- 274: Emergency energy preparedness

- 276: Energy information, policy, and regulation





High Percentage: 2.1% (1981)

Low Percentage: 0.0%









Natural Resources and Environment (Function 300)









Sub-functions:

- 301: Water resources

- 302: Conservation and land management

- 303: Recreational resources

- 304: Pollution control and abatement

- 306: Other natural resources





High Percentage: 2.4% (1977)

Low Percentage: 0.9%









Agriculture (Function 350)









Sub-functions:

- 351: Farm income stabilization

- 352: Agricultural research and services





High Percentage: 3.74% (1963)

Low Percentage: 0.5%









Commerce and Housing Credit (Function 370)









Sub-functions:

- 371: Mortgage credit

- 372: Postal service

- 373: Deposit insurance

- 376: Other advancement of commerce





High Percentage: 8.1% (2009)

Low Percentage: -2.6%









Transportation (Function 400)









Sub-functions:

- 401: Ground transportation

- 402: Air transportation

- 403: Water transportation

- 407: Other transportation





High Percentage: 4.6% (1965)

Low Percentage: 2.3%









Community and Regional Development (Function 450)









Sub-functions:

- 451: Community development

- 452: Area and regional development

- 453: Disaster relief and insurance





High Percentage: 2.5% (1979)

Low Percentage: 0.4%









Education, Training, Employment, and Social Services (Function 500)









Sub-functions:

- 501: Elementary, secondary, and vocational education

- 502: Higher education

- 503: Research and general education aids

- 504: Training and employment

- 505: Other labor services

- 506: Social services





High Percentage: 5.8% (1979)

Low Percentage: 1.1%









Health (Function 550)









Sub-functions:

- 551: Health care services

- 552: Health research and training

- 554: Consumer and occupational health and safety





High Percentage: 12.7% (2015)

Low Percentage: 1.1%









Medicare (Function 570)









Sub-functions:

- 571: Medicare





High Percentage: 14.4% (2015)

Low Percentage: 0.0%









Income Security (Function 600)









Sub-functions:

- 601: General retirement and disability insurance (excluding social security)

- 602: Federal employee retirement and disability

- 603: Unemployment compensation

- 604: Housing assistance

- 605: Food and nutrition assistance

- 609: Other income security





High Percentage: 17.6% (2010)

Low Percentage: 6.2%









Social Security (Function 650)









Sub-functions:

- 651: Social security





High Percentage: 23.7% (2014)

Low Percentage: 12.8%









Veterans Benefits and Services (Function 700)









Sub-functions:

- 701: Income security for veterans

- 702: Veterans education, training, and rehabilitation

- 703: Hospital and medical care for veterans

- 704: Veterans housing

- 705: Other veterans benefits and services





High Percentage: 5.0% (1962)

Low Percentage: 2.3%









Administration of Justice (Function 750)









Sub-functions:

- 751: Federal law enforcement activities

- 752: Federal litigative and judicial activities

- 753: Federal correctional activities

- 754: Criminal justice assistance





High Percentage: 1.9% (2004)

Low Percentage: 0.4%









General Government (Function 800)









Sub-functions:

- 801: Legislative functions

- 802: Executive direction and management

- 803: Central fiscal operations

- 804: General property and records management

- 805: Central personnel management

- 806: General purpose fiscal assistance

- 808: Other general government

- 809: Deductions for offsetting receipts





High Percentage: 3.8% (1973)

Low Percentage: 0.6%









Net Interest (Function 900)









Sub-functions:

- 901: Interest on Treasury debt securities

- 902: Interest received by on-budget trust funds

- 903: Interest received by off-budget trust funds

- 908: Other interest

- 909: Other investment income





High Percentage: 15.1% (1996)

Low Percentage: 5.2%









Interactive Graph:









If you take the data provided by the Government Publishing Office and graph the total dollars spent since 1962 on U.S. federal spending, you get something that looks like this:And while this graph is useful--it tells us that U.S. federal spending has increased semi-exponentially over the past fifty years--it doesn't paint a clear picture of how spending on each function has changed over time. To see that, we need a graph with each function represented as a percentage of total spending, which looks like this: