Deficits/Surpluses From 1940 Until 2013 (*fiscal years)
1* - Presidential control
2* - Senate control
3* - House control
D = Democrat R = Republican
| Year | Nominal Dollars | Inflation Adjusted | 1* | 2* | 3* |
| 1940 | $2.9 Billion Deficit | $48.33 Billion Deficit | D | D | D |
| 1941 | $4.9 Billion Deficit | $77.78 Billion Deficit | D | D | D |
| 1942 | $20.5 Billion Deficit | $292.86 Billion Deficit | D | D | D |
| 1943 | $54.6 Billion Deficit | $737.84 Billion Deficit | D | D | D |
| 1944 | $47.6 Billion Deficit | $634.67 Billion Deficit | D | D | D |
| 1945 | $47.6 Billion Deficit | $618.18 Billion Deficit | D | D | D |
| 1946 | $15.9 Billion Deficit | $191.57 Billion Deficit | D | D | D |
| 1947 | $4 Billion Surplus | $42.11 Billion Surplus | D | R | R |
| 1948 | $11.8 Billion Surplus | $114.56 Billion Surplus | D | R | R |
| 1949 | $0.6 Billion Surplus | $5.88 Billion Surplus | D | D | D |
| 1950 | $3.1 Billion Deficit | $30.1 Billion Deficit | D | D | D |
| 1951 | $6.1 Billion Surplus | $54.95 Billion Surplus | D | D | D |
| 1952 | $1.5 Billion Deficit | $13.27 Billion Deficit | D | D | D |
| 1953 | $6.5 Billion Deficit | $57.02 Billion Deficit | R | R | D |
| 1954 | $1.2 Billion Deficit | $10.43 Billion Deficit | R | R | D |
| 1955 | $3 Billion Deficit | $26.09 Billion Deficit | R | D | D |
| 1956 | $3.9 Billion Surplus | $33.62 Billion Surplus | R | D | D |
| 1957 | $3.4 Billion Surplus | $28.33 Billion Surplus | R | D | D |
| 1958 | $2.8 Billion Deficit | $22.58 Billion Deficit | R | D | D |
| 1959 | $12.8 Billion Deficit | $103.23 Billion Deficit | R | D | D |
| 1960 | $0.3 Billion Surplus | $2.36 Billion Surplus | R | D | D |
| 1961 | $3.3 Billion Deficit | $25.78 Billion Deficit | D | D | D |
| 1962 | $7.1 Billion Deficit | $55.04 Billion Deficit | D | D | D |
| 1963 | $4.8 Billion Deficit | $36.64 Billion Deficit | D | D | D |
| 1964 | $5.9 Billion Deficit | $44.36 Billion Deficit | D | D | D |
| 1965 | $1.4 Billion Deficit | $10.37 Billion Deficit | D | D | D |
| 1966 | $3.7 Billion Deficit | $26.62 Billion Deficit | D | D | D |
| 1967 | $8.6 Billion Deficit | $60.14 Billion Deficit | D | D | D |
| 1968 | $25.2 Billion Deficit | $169.13 Billion Deficit | D | D | D |
| 1969 | $3.2 Billion Surplus | $20.38 Billion Surplus | R | D | D |
| 1970 | $2.8 Billion Deficit | $16.87 Billion Deficit | R | D | D |
| 1971 | $23 Billion Deficit | $132.95 Billion Deficit | R | D | D |
| 1972 | $23.4 Billion Deficit | $130.73 Billion Deficit | R | D | D |
| 1973 | $14.9 Billion Deficit | $78.42 Billion Deficit | R | D | D |
| 1974 | $6.1 Billion Deficit | $28.91 Billion Deficit | R | D | D |
| 1975 | $53.2 Billion Deficit | $231.3 Billion Deficit | R | D | D |
| 1976 | $73.7 Billion Deficit | $303.29 Billion Deficit | R | D | D |
| 1977 | $53.7 Billion Deficit | $207.34 Billion Deficit | D | D | D |
| 1978 | $59.2 Billion Deficit | $212.19 Billion Deficit | D | D | D |
| 1979 | $40.7 Billion Deficit | $130.87 Billion Deficit | D | D | D |
| 1980 | $73.8 Billion Deficit | $209.66 Billion Deficit | D | D | D |
| 1981 | $79 Billion Deficit | $203.08 Billion Deficit | R | R | D |
| 1982 | $128 Billion Deficit | $309.93 Billion Deficit | R | R | D |
| 1983 | $207.8 Billion Deficit | $487.79 Billion Deficit | R | R | D |
| 1984 | $185.4 Billion Deficit | $417.57 Billion Deficit | R | R | D |
| 1985 | $212.3 Billion Deficit | $461.52 Billion Deficit | R | R | D |
| 1986 | $221.2 Billion Deficit | $471.64 Billion Deficit | R | R | D |
| 1987 | $149.7 Billion Deficit | $308.02 Billion Deficit | R | D | D |
| 1988 | $155.2 Billion Deficit | $306.72 Billion Deficit | R | D | D |
| 1989 | $152.5 Billion Deficit | $287.74 Billion Deficit | R | D | D |
| 1990 | $221.2 Billion Deficit | $395.71 Billion Deficit | R | D | D |
| 1991 | $269.3 Billion Deficit | $461.92 Billion Deficit | R | D | D |
| 1992 | $290.4 Billion Deficit | $484 Billion Deficit | R | D | D |
| 1993 | $255.1 Billion Deficit | $412.78 Billion Deficit | D | D | D |
| 1994 | $203.2 Billion Deficit | $320.5 Billion Deficit | D | D | D |
| 1995 | $164 Billion Deficit | $251.53 Billion Deficit | D | R | R |
| 1996 | $107.5 Billion Deficit | $160.21 Billion Deficit | D | R | R |
| 1997 | $22 Billion Deficit | $32.07 Billion Deficit | D | R | R |
| 1998 | $69.2 Billion Surplus | $99.28 Billion Surplus | D | R | R |
| 1999 | $125.6 Billion Surplus | $176.16 Billion Surplus | D | R | R |
| 2000 | $236.4 Billion Surplus | $320.76 Billion Surplus | D | R | R |
| 2001 | $127.3 Billion Surplus | $168.16 Billion Surplus | R | D | R |
| 2002 | $157.8 Billion Deficit | $205.2 Billion Deficit | R | D | R |
| 2003 | $377.6 Billion Deficit | $479.8 Billion Deficit | R | R | R |
| 2004 | $413 Billion Deficit | $511.14 Billion Deficit | R | R | R |
| 2005 | $318 Billion Deficit | $380.84 Billion Deficit | R | R | R |
| 2006 | $248 Billion Deficit | $287.7 Billion Deficit | R | R | R |
| 2007 | $161 Billion Deficit | $181.51 Billion Deficit | R | D | D |
| 2008 | $459 Billion Deficit | $498.37 Billion Deficit | R | D | D |
| 2009 | $1413 Billion Deficit | $1539.22 Billion Deficit | D | D | D |
| 2010 | $1294 Billion Deficit | $1386.92 Billion Deficit | D | D | D |
| 2011 | $1299 Billion Deficit | $1350.31 Billion Deficit | D | D | R |
| 2012 | $1100 Billion Deficit | $1120.16 Billion Deficit | D | D | R |
| 2013 | $759 Billion Deficit | $759 Billion Deficit | D | D | R |