Oklahoma’s total state spending in fiscal year 2020 was $21.04 billion in current dollars. This includes spending from all revenue sources, including federal money, licenses and fees, et al. Thus, the total spending number is much higher than the appropriated budget the legislature approves each year (around $8 billion for the current fiscal year).

Sources: Oklahoma Comprehensive Annual Financial Reports (2011-2020); inflation adjustments by author to 2021 dollars using the CPI inflation calculator, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Over the last 10 years, total state spending has grown by 1.5 percent. However, the share of state spending funded by the federal government has fallen more than 12 percent in that same time. As federal funding continued to fall, state spending remained steady near $20 billion throughout the past decade. During fiscal year 2020, federal funding increased by $700 million during the Covid-19 pandemic as the federal government approved trillions of dollars of stimulus for states and localities.

Sources: Oklahoma Comprehensive Annual Financial Reports (2011-2020); inflation adjustments by author to 2021 dollars using the CPI inflation calculator, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

The state’s share of total government revenue (excluding federal funds) has grown by 6 percent (adjusted for inflation) between 2011 and 2020—from $12.1 billion in 2011 to $12.8 billion in 2020.

Sources: Oklahoma Comprehensive Annual Financial Reports (2011-2020); inflation adjustments by author to 2021 dollars using the CPI inflation calculator, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics