Federal spending per person reaches $20,474 in 2025, nearly 100 fold increase since 1916

Federal spending per person has surged nearly 100-fold since 1916, reaching $20,474 in fiscal year 2025, according to Rachel O'Brien, deputy public policy editor for Open the Books. This increase, adjusted for today's dollars, is attributed to the growth of the federal administrative state, with significant spending on Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. O'Brien noted that spending per person was just over $17,000 in 2019, before the pandemic caused it to spike to nearly $25,000 in 2020 and 2021.
The federal government currently lists 441 agencies, but O'Brien revealed that 75 of these are defunct, leaving 366 active agencies. She highlighted the "use it or lose it" spending practice, particularly by the Department of Defense (DoD), which spent $79 billion in September last year. O'Brien described earmarks as "the currency of corruption," noting their return after an 11-year ban saved the country $141 billion.
Sen. Joni Ernst has introduced the "Where's the Workforce Act," also known as the "Where's Waldo Act," to address transparency issues within the federal workforce. The proposed legislation would create a public database detailing civilian employees' positions, duties, agency affiliations, and duty stations. O'Brien emphasized the importance of this information, especially as many employees continue to work remotely post-pandemic.
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