Federal deficit during each president's tenure
Every president since 1991, ranked by how the federal deficit changed from their first day in office. Politare shows what happened during a tenure; it does not claim the office-holder caused it.
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Tenures
Period
Order
| # | President | In office | Total | Per year | Chart |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Donald Trump | 20 Jan 2017 – 20 Jan 2021 | +11.4 pp 2016 → 2020 | +2.8 pp/yr | |
| 2 | George W. Bush | 20 Jan 2001 – 20 Jan 2009 | +5.4 pp 2000 → 2008 | +0.7 pp/yr | |
| 3 |  Barack Obama | 20 Jan 2009 – 20 Jan 2017 | +0.0 pp 2008 → 2016 | 0.0 pp/yr | |
| 4 | Bill Clinton | 20 Jan 1993 – 20 Jan 2001 | −6.8 pp 1992 → 2000 | −0.8 pp/yr | |
| 5 | Joe Biden | 20 Jan 2021 – 20 Jan 2025 | −8.3 pp 2020 → 2024 | −2.1 pp/yr |
Sorted by total, highest first. Every row is indexed to the last count complete before the first day in office ("from" marks a start that had to move because that count had no data, or because the period cut it); Levels are per cent changes, rates are differences in pp; "per year" compounds levels and divides rates. Tenures with under 12 months, or under three observations, are left out. % of GDP · OMB / Treasury via FRED (FYFSGDA188S), fiscal years ending 30 Sep · United States data · as of Sep 2026.