US: Budget Swings to Deficit in September.

The US government recorded a $27 billion budget deficit in September 2026, reversing a $198 billion surplus a year earlier but coming in narrower than forecasts of a $29 billion shortfall. Government outlays rose to $585 billion from $346 billion, with Social Security ($141 billion), health ($100 billion), Medicare ($93 billion), and national defense ($89 billion) accounting for the largest expenditures. Meanwhile, government receipts increased to $558 billion from $544 billion. Individual income taxes ($298 billion), social insurance and retirement contributions ($149 billion), and corporate income taxes ($87 billion) were the largest sources of revenue. The cumulative deficit for fiscal year 2026 reached $1.992 trillion.