What is the breakdown of revenues among federal, state, and local governments?
Federal, state, and local government receipts totaled $5.4 trillion in 2018. Federal receipts were 64 percent of the total, while state and local receipts (excluding intergovernmental transfers) were 21 percent and 15 percent, respectively.
As shown in figure 1, federal government current receipts were just under $3.5 trillion in 2018. Tax receipts were 56 percent of the total, contributions to government social insurance programs were another 38 percent, and receipts from other sources accounted for the remainder.
State government current receipts were just under $1.8 trillion in 2018. Tax receipts were 58 percent of the total, contributions to social insurance programs were 1 percent, and other receipts were 4 percent. Thirty-six percent of state government revenues ($644 billion) came from intergovernmental transfers, most of which ($533 billion) were from the federal government.
Local government current receipts were just over $1.4 trillion in 2018. Taxes were 53 percent of the total and other receipts were another 3 percent. Forty-four percent of local government revenues ($641 billion) came from intergovernmental transfers, most of which ($554 billion) were from state governments.
Updated May 2020
US Bureau of Economic Analysis. 2020. National Income and Product Accounts, Section 3: Table 3.2, “Federal Government Current Receipts and Expenditures;” Table 3.20, “State Government Current Receipts and Expenditures;” Table 3.21, “Local Government Current Receipts and Expenditures.”.