Social Service Funding Decisions Ahead

The U.S. spent $379 billion on social service programs in 2021—on income assistance, housing, and nutrition programs. Adjusted for inflation, that was a 13% increase since 2009. On a per capita basis, the U.S. spends $1,142 per citizen per year on social services ($922 on an inflation-adjusted basis, an increase of 4% in the same period). That was the big picture takeaway from our new analysis, The U.S. Social Services Market Spending, 2009-2021 An OPEN MINDS Market Intelligence Report.

Taking a closer look at the data, 47% of the social service budget was . . .