Congressional Budget Office
The 2016 Budget and Economic Outlook
Presentation to the
National Association for Business Economics
March 7, 2016
Keith Hall
Director
This presentation draws on The Budget and Economic Outlook: 2016 to 2026 (January 2016), www.cbo.gov/publication/51129.
1CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE
Budget Outlook
2CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE
Total Deficits or Surpluses
Percentage of Gross Domestic Product
3CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE
Federal Debt Held by the Public
Percentage of Gross Domestic Product
4CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE
Total Revenues and Outlays
Percentage of Gross Domestic Product
5CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE
Total Outlays
Percentage of Gross Domestic Product
6CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE
Components of the Total Increase in Outlays in
CBO’s Baseline Between 2016 and 2026
Total Increase
in Outlays:
$2.5 Trillion
All Other Programs
(17%)
Net Interest
(23%)
Social Security
(28%)
Major Health Care Programs
(32%)Medicare
(20%)
Other
(12%)
7CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE
Projected Debt Held by the Public and Net Interest
Billions of Dollars
2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
900
0
5,000
10,000
15,000
20,000
25,000
Net Interest (Left axis)
Debt Held by the Public (Right axis)
8CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE
Projected Outlays in Major Budget Categories
Percentage of Gross Domestic Product
2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Social Security
Major Health
Care Programs
Net Interest
5.9
5.2
2.5
Discretionary 6.6
Other Mandatory 3.0
9CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE
Total Revenues
Percentage of Gross Domestic Product
18.2
Average Revenues,
1966 to 2015
(17.4%)
Total Revenues
Actual Projected
1966 1971 1976 1981 1986 1991 1996 2001 2006 2011 2016 2021 2026
0
5
10
15
20
25
10CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE
Spending and Revenues Projected in CBO’s Baseline,
Compared With Actual Values in 1966 and 1991
Percentage of Gross Domestic Product
11CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE
Economic Outlook
12CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE
Growth of Real Gross Domestic Product
Percent, Fourth Quarter to Fourth Quarter
13CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE
Rates of Short- and Long-Term Unemployment
Percent
14CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE
Labor Force Participation Rates
Percent
15CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE
Hourly Labor Compensation
Percentage Change
16CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE
Inflation
Percentage Change in PCE Price Indexes
17CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE
Interest Rates on Treasury Securities
Percent

The 2016 Budget and Economic Outlook