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US budget deficit hits $US193.5 billion

The US budget deficit for the first five months of its financial year is more than 23 per cent lower than for the same period last year.

The US government is running a deficit that is 23.6 per cent lower than in the same period a year ago through the first five months of this budget year, another sign of improvement in the nation's finances.

In its monthly budget report, the Treasury Department says the deficit for February totalled $US193.5 billion ($A216.07 billion), the largest monthly imbalance in a year. The government traditionally runs large deficits in February, a month when it is sending out tax refund payments.

For the period from October through February, the deficit totals $US377.4 billion.

Last week, President Barack Obama sent Congress a new budget which forecasts the deficit will fall to $US649 billion this year, down from a $US680 billion deficit last year.


1 min read

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Source: AAP


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