USA: Budget Gap Shrinks in January.

The US government recorded a $94.6 billion budget deficit in January 2026, compared with a $128.6 billion deficit in the same month a year earlier. Receipts rose 9.1% year on year to $559.9 billion, driven by individual income taxes ($317.30 billion), social insurance and retirement receipts ($169.80 billion), and customs duties ($27.74 billion). The increase reflected seasonal and collection timing effects that supported tax and customs receipts in the month. Meanwhile, outlays rose 2.0% year on year to $654.6 billion, with Social Security ($143.55 billion), Health and Medicare ($217.09 billion), and national defense ($70.75 billion) the largest spending categories, while the timing of several payments, including Medicare and veterans’ benefits, influenced the monthly outturn.