The American Five Year PlanProsperity and solvencyRow 2
Federal deficit, share of GDP
5.9% (FY2025)3.0% or less (FY2032)
Binding scored on Congress and the President% of GDP, fiscal year
Why this row
Federal receipts were 17.3% of GDP in FY2025, outlays 23.1%, and the deficit 5.9%. CBO's February 2026 outlook puts FY2026 at 5.8% against a fifty-year average of 3.8. The anchor is the country's own record over a comparable span: from a 3.8% deficit in FY1993 to a 2.3% surplus in FY2000, a swing of 6.1 points against the 2.9 points this row asks for. It is binding because Congress and the President set both sides of the ledger.
The path
| 2028 | 2029 | 2030 | 2031 | 2032 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4.7 | 4.2 | 3.8 | 3.4 | 3 |
linear; CBO's February 2026 baseline has FY2026 at 5.8%
Each July 4 the row shows its baseline, this path, the latest official value and a status of ahead, on schedule or behind. As a binding row it also links the decisions by Congress and the President that moved the number during the year.