US federal spending on welfare exceeds military budget

Discussions regarding United States fiscal priorities have surfaced following comments by New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who suggested that funds used for military purposes could instead be used to support the public.

However, federal data indicates that national defense accounts for approximately 13% of the federal budget, which is significantly less than the spending on Social Security, Medicare, and the interest on the $40 trillion national debt. The federal government allocates roughly $1.3 trillion annually to means-tested welfare and anti-poverty programs, an amount exceeding the total national budget of Germany.

In New York City, direct welfare cash assistance payments reached a record $2.71 billion in 2025, representing a 70% increase from 2022. The city also spent $14.63 billion on social programs for the poor, an amount that is more than double its spending on the police department.