The US government spends about 2.4 times more on the elderly than on children. Most developed countries tend to spend more on their aging populations than on their youth, but the US has one of the highest differences, with just Greece and Japan spending comparatively more on the elderly than on children. Children’s social programs in the US tend to be funded more often by state and local governments, but spending for seniors was mainly federal. Spending on the senior and disabled populations is projected to continue to increase because of a rise in average lifespans, and spending on children is projected to decrease &mash; particularly educational spending.
More about US spending:
- The US spent twice as much on defense in 2011 than on children, but defense spending was only about half as much as what was spent on federal programs for the elderly.
- In terms of US federal spending only, the aging population receives $7 US Dollars (USD) for every $1 USD spent on children.
- Public schooling tends to be the largest children-related expense for local and state governments, with average spending at $7,154 USD per child in 2008.