State government

Louisiana's money: where it comes from and where it goes

In the latest recorded fiscal year (ended June 30, 2024), Louisiana took in $44.6 billion and spent $46.3 billion.

Latest recorded year: ended June 30, 2024Comes fromGoes to

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Where it comes from

Federal tax money50%State taxes37%Fines and other5.9%Fees for services (college tuition, university housing and dining)5.8%Local tax money1.3%

What stands out

50%

of Louisiana's money comes from federal tax money.A typical state government gets 35%.

State taxes37%

Other taxes
12%$5.50 billion
What's in other taxesInsurance premium taxes; severance taxes and 13 more
  • Insurance premium taxes$1.33 billion
  • Severance taxes$829 million
  • Amusement taxes$809 million
  • Corporation licenses$696 million
  • Other selective sales taxes$626 million
  • Motor fuel taxes$622 million
  • Tobacco taxes$221 million
  • Occupation and business licenses$126 million
  • Motor vehicle licenses$82.7 million
  • Alcoholic beverage taxes$76.2 million
  • Hunting and fishing licenses$32.6 million
  • Public utility licenses$15.1 million
  • Driver's licenses$12.8 million
  • Public utility taxes$10.3 million
  • Other licenses$5.9 million

Amounts are by Census tax category.

Individual income tax
11%$4.88 billion
Sales tax
11%$4.87 billion
Business income tax
2.3%$1.01 billion
Property tax
0.3%$131 million

Fees for services5.8%

Fees for services
5.8%$2.56 billion
What's in fees for servicesCollege tuition; university housing and dining and 12 more
  • College tuition$1.35 billion
  • University housing and dining$514 million
  • Other service charges$324 million
  • Ports and waterways$160 million
  • Parks and recreation$133 million
  • Parks, land and natural resources$28.3 million
  • Tolls on roads and bridges$22.6 million
  • Water$9.0 million
  • Hospital bills$8.7 million
  • Housing$5.8 million
  • Electric power$4.8 million
  • Other education charges$3.9 million
  • Road charges$542 thousand
  • Airport$338 thousand

Amounts are by Census type of charge.

Federal tax money50%

Grants from Washington, paid for by the federal taxes residents also pay.

From the federal government
50%$22.4 billion

Local tax money1.3%

Money passed on by the county or other local governments.

From local governments
1.3%$578 million

Fines and other5.9%

Interest, rents and other
5.7%$2.55 billion
Fines
0.2%$97.6 million

Where it goes

Social services41%Sent to local governments21%Schools and colleges14%Running the government and other costs7.5%Roads, transit and parking6.1%All other spending11%

What stands out

41%

of Louisiana's spending goes to social services.A typical state government spends 31%.

Spending by category100%

Social services
41%$19.0 billion
What's in social servicesOther public welfare; unemployment and social insurance offices and 2 more
  • Other public welfare$18.6 billion
  • Unemployment and social insurance offices$237 million
  • Welfare institutions$66.3 million
  • Veterans' services$13.5 million
Sent to local governments
21%$9.62 billion
What's in sent to local governmentsSent to school districts; sent to local governments: other and not broken out and 16 more
  • Sent to school districts$7.13 billion
  • Sent to local governments: other and not broken out$1.71 billion
  • Sent to local governments: prisons and jails$180 million
  • Sent to local governments: police$135 million
  • Sent to local governments: roads and highways$116 million
  • Sent to local governments: general support$110 million
  • Sent to local governments: other education$66.6 million
  • Sent to local governments: parks and recreation$52.5 million
  • Sent to local governments: courts and legal services$40.3 million
  • Sent to local governments: housing and community development$23.2 million
  • Sent to local governments: elementary and secondary schools$21.7 million
  • Sent to local governments: hospitals$17.7 million
  • Sent to local governments: natural resources, farming and conservation$6.5 million
  • Sent to local governments: finance, tax collection and budgeting$5.3 million
  • Sent to local governments: inspections and regulation$883 thousand
  • Sent to local governments: other government administration$105 thousand
  • Sent to local governments: public health$105 thousand
  • Sent to local governments: other public welfare$2 thousand
Schools and colleges
14%$6.39 billion
What's in schools and collegesColleges and universities; scholarships and other education subsidies and 3 more
  • Colleges and universities$4.23 billion
  • Scholarships and other education subsidies$925 million
  • College housing, dining and bookstores$730 million
  • Other education$497 million
  • Elementary and secondary schools$7.8 million
Running the government and other costs
7.5%$3.47 billion
What's in running the government and other costsOther and not broken out; finance, tax collection and budgeting and 3 more
  • Other and not broken out$2.13 billion
  • Finance, tax collection and budgeting$911 million
  • Central staff services (personnel, purchasing, technology)$272 million
  • Other government administration$119 million
  • Government buildings$35.0 million
Roads, transit and parking
6.1%$2.84 billion
What's in roads, transit and parkingRoads and highways; ports and harbors and 2 more
  • Roads and highways$2.52 billion
  • Ports and harbors$268 million
  • Airports$29.6 million
  • Toll roads and bridges$20.2 million
Police, fire, courts and jails
3.3%$1.52 billion
What's in police, fire, courts and jailsPrisons and jails; police and 3 more
  • Prisons and jails$631 million
  • Police$371 million
  • Courts and legal services$203 million
  • Probation, parole and other corrections$200 million
  • Inspections and regulation$112 million
Environment and natural resources
2.9%$1.35 billion
What's in environment and natural resourcesNatural resources, farming and conservation
  • Natural resources, farming and conservation$1.35 billion
Health and hospitals
2.6%$1.22 billion
What's in health and hospitalsPublic health and hospitals
  • Public health$689 million
  • Hospitals$535 million
Interest on debt
1.0%$461 million
Parks, recreation and libraries
0.9%$404 million
What's in parks, recreation and librariesParks and recreation and libraries
  • Parks and recreation$397 million
  • Libraries$7.5 million
Housing and community development
0.1%$68.9 million
Water, sewer, trash and utilities
<0.1%$7.7 million
What's in water, sewer, trash and utilitiesWater supply and electric power
  • Water supply$4.3 million
  • Electric power$3.4 million
Sources and moreWhere these numbers come from and what they cover

State of Louisiana. U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, individual unit file, fiscal year ended June 30, 2024.

What this covers. The money of State of Louisiana itself. Other governments that serve the same area (the city, county, school district and state) are separate and not included. Borrowing, transfers between a government's own funds, and pension trust funds are not counted as revenue.

Counties60 counties, A to Z
Cities and towns302 cities, towns and townships, A to Z
School districts69 school districts, A to Z