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Washington budget vs. income and population × inflation

Washington's final Near General Fund appropriations, population times US inflation, and state personal income by biennium, each indexed to 2013-15 = 100.

Credit: FactHub analysis of Legislative Budget Notes, OFM, BLS and BEA data

Node: chart:wa-general-fund-growth-index

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Line chart of three series indexed to 2013-15 = 100, from 2005-07 to 2023-25. The general-fund budget rises to 214.6 by 2023-25, personal income to 190.3, and population times US inflation to 152.0. — From 2013-15 to 2023-25, Washington's final Near General Fund appropriations rose to 214.6 on an index where 2013-15 = 100, ahead of personal income (190.3) and well ahead of population times US inflation (152.0). Before 2013-15 the budget dipped in 2009-11 while income kept rising: in 2005-07 the budget index was 89.0, personal income 71.5, and population times inflation 78.0, so from that earlier base the budget grew faster than population times inflation but slower than personal income.

What this chart asks

Did Washington's general-fund budget grow faster than population plus inflation, and faster than the state economy?

Why it is shown this way

Indexing every series to the same biennium shows relative growth on one scale, which dollar, person and price units cannot share.
Lines by biennium show the path, including the 2009-11 dip, not only the endpoints.

Chart annotations

These markers provide relevant context for interpreting the chart. Their timing or position does not, by itself, establish causation.

2013-15 = 100: Threshold: 100
All three series equal 100 in 2013-15, a post-recession low for the budget. The choice of base changes how far apart the lines look.

Data and accessibility

Download chart data · Open accessible table · Download PNG · Download SVG

Dataset wa-general-fund-growth, analysis growth-index-2013-base

Sources

This chart draws on the sources of the dataset versions it visualizes.

Washington Near General Fund budget and revenue by biennium, 2005-07 to 2025-27, with benchmarks, growth drivers, K-12 and cross-state comparisons

Washington State Legislature fiscal committees and LEAP Legislative Budget Notes 2007: final 2005-07 NGF-S and all-funds totals (2005-07 Budget vs. 2007-09 Budget, Total State, including appropriations in other legislation; NGF-S Summary Report p. 13).
Retrieved October 9, 2026. Washington State government publication. Public document; linked, not redistributed.

Archived copy captured October 9, 2026
Washington State Legislature fiscal committees and LEAP Legislative Budget Notes 2009: final 2007-09 and enacted 2009-11 totals.
Retrieved October 9, 2026. Washington State government publication. Public document; linked, not redistributed.

Archived copy captured October 9, 2026
Washington State Legislature fiscal committees and LEAP Legislative Budget Notes 2011: final 2009-11 and enacted 2011-13 totals.
Retrieved October 9, 2026. Washington State government publication. Public document; linked, not redistributed.

Archived copy captured October 9, 2026
Washington State Legislature fiscal committees and LEAP Legislative Budget Notes 2013: final 2011-13 and enacted 2013-15 totals.
Retrieved October 9, 2026. Washington State government publication. Public document; linked, not redistributed.

Archived copy captured October 9, 2026
Washington State Legislature fiscal committees and LEAP Legislative Budget Notes 2015: final 2013-15 totals and functional areas (2013-15 Budget vs. 2015-17 Budget, Total State, p. O-23), enacted 2015-17.
Retrieved October 9, 2026. Washington State government publication. Public document; linked, not redistributed.

Archived copy captured October 9, 2026
Washington State Legislature fiscal committees and LEAP Legislative Budget Notes 2017: final 2015-17 and enacted 2017-19 totals; EHB 2242 property-tax and levy reform.
Retrieved October 9, 2026. Washington State government publication. Public document; linked, not redistributed.

Archived copy captured October 9, 2026
Washington State Legislature fiscal committees and LEAP Legislative Budget Notes 2019: final 2017-19 and enacted 2019-21 totals; creation of the Workforce Education Investment Account (E2SHB 2158).
Retrieved October 9, 2026. Washington State government publication. Public document; linked, not redistributed.
Washington State Legislature fiscal committees and LEAP Legislative Budget Notes 2021: final 2019-21 and enacted 2021-23 totals.
Retrieved October 9, 2026. Washington State government publication. Public document; linked, not redistributed.

Archived copy captured October 9, 2026
Washington State Legislature fiscal committees and LEAP Legislative Budget Notes 2023: final 2021-23 and enacted 2023-25 totals.
Retrieved October 9, 2026. Washington State government publication. Public document; linked, not redistributed.

Archived copy captured October 9, 2026
Washington State Legislature fiscal committees and LEAP Legislative Budget Notes 2025: final 2023-25 totals and functional areas (2023-25 Budget vs. 2025-27 Budget, Functional Area Totals, p. O-16), enacted 2025-27.
Retrieved October 9, 2026. Washington State government publication. Public document; linked, not redistributed.

Archived copy captured October 9, 2026
Washington State Legislature fiscal committees and LEAP Legislative Budget Notes 2026: 2025-27 appropriations after the 2026 supplemental ($80,203,984K NGF-O; $157,299,314K total budgeted).
Retrieved October 9, 2026. Washington State government publication. Public document; linked, not redistributed.

Archived copy captured October 9, 2026
Washington State Office of Financial Management April 1 population estimates, Table 1 (Population Trends, October 2026 edition).
Retrieved October 9, 2026. Washington State government publication. Public document; linked, not redistributed.

Archived copy captured October 9, 2026
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U, U.S. city average, all items, annual averages (series CUUR0000SA0).
Retrieved October 9, 2026. U.S. government work (public domain). Public domain.

Archived copy captured October 9, 2026
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U, Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, all items, annual averages (series CUURS49DSA0).
Retrieved October 9, 2026. U.S. government work (public domain). Public domain.

Archived copy captured October 9, 2026
U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis State annual personal income, SAINC1 line 1, Washington (GeoFIPS 53000), $ millions.
Retrieved October 9, 2026. U.S. government work (public domain). Public domain.

Archived copy captured October 9, 2026
Washington State Legislature fiscal committees and LEAP Legislative Budget Notes 2014: 2014 supplemental; February 2014 revenue forecast for 2013-15 by source (property tax $3,949.1M, p. O-18).
Retrieved October 9, 2026. Washington State government publication. Public document; linked, not redistributed.

Archived copy captured October 10, 2026
Washington State Legislature fiscal committees and LEAP Legislative Budget Notes 2016: 2016 supplemental maintenance-level and policy totals (p. O-11).
Retrieved October 9, 2026. Washington State government publication. Public document; linked, not redistributed.
Washington State Legislature fiscal committees and LEAP Legislative Budget Notes 2018: 2018 supplemental maintenance-level and policy totals (p. O-11); ESSB 6614 one-year state levy cut.
Retrieved October 9, 2026. Washington State government publication. Public document; linked, not redistributed.

Archived copy captured October 10, 2026
Washington State Legislature fiscal committees and LEAP Legislative Budget Notes 2020: 2020 supplemental totals (p. O-12); ESB 6690 aerospace preferential-rate repeal.
Retrieved October 9, 2026. Washington State government publication. Public document; linked, not redistributed.

Archived copy captured October 10, 2026
Washington State Legislature fiscal committees and LEAP Legislative Budget Notes 2022: 2022 supplemental maintenance-level and policy totals (p. O-12).
Retrieved October 9, 2026. Washington State government publication. Public document; linked, not redistributed.

Archived copy captured October 10, 2026
Washington State Legislature fiscal committees and LEAP Legislative Budget Notes 2024: 2024 supplemental totals (p. O-1); February 2024 revenue forecast for 2023-25 by source (property tax $9,330M, p. O-8).
Retrieved October 9, 2026. Washington State government publication. Public document; linked, not redistributed.
Washington State Economic and Revenue Forecast Council Washington Economic and Revenue Forecast, September 2026. Table 3.17 (printed p. 70): GF-S, ELTA, OPA and WEIA collections by fiscal year and biennium, cash basis, restated to the current GF-S definition.
Retrieved October 10, 2026. Washington State government publication. Public document; linked, not redistributed.

Archived copy captured October 10, 2026
U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis via Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (FRED) State and local government consumption expenditures and gross investment, chain-type price index, 2017=100, annual (BEA NIPA Table 3.9.4; FRED series B829RG3A086NBEA).
Retrieved October 10, 2026. U.S. government work (public domain). Public domain.

Archived copy captured October 10, 2026
National Association of State Budget Officers The Fiscal Survey of States, Spring 2026. Table 1, Fiscal 2025 State General Fund, Actual (expenditures by state).
Retrieved October 10, 2026. NASBO publication; free public download. Linked, not redistributed; figures quoted for comparison.

Archived copy captured October 10, 2026
National Association of State Budget Officers The Fiscal Survey of States, Spring 2020. Table 3, Fiscal 2019 State General Fund, Actual.
Retrieved October 10, 2026. NASBO publication; free public download. Linked, not redistributed; figures quoted for comparison.

Archived copy captured October 10, 2026
National Association of State Budget Officers (via IssueLab) The Fiscal Survey of States, Spring 2015. Table 3, Fiscal 2014 State General Fund, Actual (p. 4).
Retrieved October 10, 2026. NASBO publication; free public download. Linked, not redistributed; figures quoted for comparison.

Archived copy captured September 10, 2024
Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction School District Financial Reporting Summary 2024-25, Section One: Table Three per-pupil revenue by source (2023-24 check values) and Table Eleven local levies by calendar year.
Retrieved October 10, 2026. Washington State government publication. Public document; linked, not redistributed.

Archived copy captured October 10, 2026
Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction 10-year F-196 historical data 2024-25 (Excel): sheets "REV by Source" (General Fund revenue by source, 2014-15 to 2024-25) and "Enrollment" (annual average FTE).
Retrieved October 10, 2026. Washington State government publication. Public document; linked, not redistributed.

Archived copy captured October 10, 2026
Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction School District Financial Reporting Summary 2015-16, Section One: Table Two enrollment and Table Three per-pupil revenue by source for 2013-14.
Retrieved October 10, 2026. Washington State government publication. Public document; linked, not redistributed.

Archived copy captured October 10, 2026
Washington State Department of Revenue Property Tax Statistics 2024: state school levy Part 1 and Part 2 amounts (PDF p. 40).
Retrieved October 10, 2026. Washington State government publication. Public document; linked, not redistributed.

Archived copy captured October 10, 2026
Washington State Department of Revenue News release, June 5, 2025: capital gains collections for tax year 2024 ($560.6M initial) and tax year 2023 ($418.6M).
Retrieved October 10, 2026. Washington State government publication. Public document; linked, not redistributed.

Archived copy captured August 7, 2026
Washington State Senate Republican Caucus (Sen. Chris Gildon) Primary source for statement gildon-doubled: press release "As predicted, majority’s ‘house of cards’ budget leads to deficit", June 9, 2026.
Retrieved October 10, 2026. Washington State Legislature publication. Linked; quoted for attribution.

Archived copy captured October 10, 2026
Northwest Progressive Institute (Andrew Villeneuve) Primary source for statement npi-budget-smaller: Cascadia Advocate post "Washington State’s budget has been shrinking, not growing, despite statements to the contrary by former elected officials", May 18, 2026 (updated June 4, 2026).
Retrieved October 10, 2026. NPI publication; all rights reserved. Linked; short quotation for attribution.

Archived copy captured July 8, 2026

Limitations

The base biennium (2013-15) was a post-recession low for the budget; with a 2005-07 base the budget still grew faster than population x inflation but slower than personal income.
Budget figures are final appropriations, not actual spending, and the Near General Fund basket gained accounts over time.
Inflation is the US CPI-U. With the Seattle CPI-U or the state and local government price index the population x inflation line rises somewhat faster (the dataset's base-year-sensitivity analysis shows all three); the budget line stays well above it in every case.
2025-27 is omitted because it is in progress and 2026 benchmarks are not yet available.

Articles and datasets using this chart

Article Washington's budget more than doubled in a decade, outpacing population and inflation

Version details

The exact citing versions, and the version of this chart each cites.

Article wa-budget-doubled-decade — version 7 (published) cites version 3
Article wa-budget-doubled-decade — version 6 (published) cites version 3
Article wa-budget-doubled-decade — version 5 (published) cites version 3
Article wa-budget-doubled-decade — version 4 (published) cites version 3
Article wa-budget-doubled-decade — version 3 (published) cites version 3