Public welfare
#1 SpendFY2024 · 37.0% of reported expenditures
Reported Dollars
$4,561,021,000
Review question: Are payment mistakes and slow applications keeping help from people who qualify?
Outcome unverified
Official Public DataRhode Island
Rhode Island State Budget & Government Spending
FY2024 reported expenditures
Reported Expenditures$12.324B
DATAU.S. Census Bureau · FY2024
Shareable Infographic
Download or share a summary image of this snapshot.
Actual spending, in the overview
Rhode Island’s FY2024 actual expenditure records are shown below. General services, utility operations and liquor-store spending reconcile to the reported expenditure total. Open a service to inspect its individual source items. Each function has an individual spending critique, proposed mechanism and success measure. Ratings follow linked program findings, comparable cost changes and source quality; missing outcomes do not establish either stability or failure. Proposed improvements protect eligible people and essential services. Open Details for the concrete issue, its scope, proposed solution and source-item breakdown. Use the year selector to inspect separately labeled historical records. The Enacted Budget tab separately shows the published FY2025 plan; budgeted amounts are not actual expenditures. Read the status methodology →
Rhode Island Actual Expenditures by Function
Actual Expenditure Ledger
FY2024 DATA0 Critical · 0 Leak · 3 Warning · 21 Outcome unverified · 0 Stable · 3 report $0
Individual spending analysis: Each entry has its own cost critique and proposed mechanism. Status follows linked program findings, comparable cost changes and source quality. Outcome unverified is neutral: accounts alone establish neither stability nor failure. Improvements must protect eligible people and essential services. Details explains the issue, evidence, remedy and success measure.
Education
FY2024 · 25.2% of reported expenditures
Reported Dollars
$3,106,417,000
Review question: Is school funding reaching students, or being absorbed by repeated office work and unused space?
Outcome unverified
Highways
FY2024 · 5.4% of reported expenditures
Reported Dollars
$666,520,000
Review question: Are road projects getting more expensive because of delays, extra charges or repairs that fail?
Outcome unverified
Health
FY2024 · 5.0% of reported expenditures
Reported Dollars
$615,695,000
Review question: Are people getting affordable prevention and follow-up care before illness becomes more serious?
Outcome unverified
Government administration and buildings
FY2024 · 4.1% of reported expenditures
Reported Dollars
$510,808,000
Review question: Are duplicate offices, empty buildings or expensive purchasing taking money away from public services?
Outcome unverified
Interest on general debt
FY2024 · 3.9% of reported expenditures
Reported Dollars
$484,949,000
Review question: How much public money is going to interest on past borrowing instead of today’s services?
Outcome unverified
Corrections
FY2024 · 2.5% of reported expenditures
Reported Dollars
$311,283,000
Review question: Are prison costs driven by necessary care and safety, or by overtime and repeated returns to prison?
Outcome unverified
General local government support
FY2024 · 2.4% of reported expenditures
Reported Dollars
$296,989,000
Review question: After the state sends money to local governments, can residents see which services it pays for?
Outcome unverified
Financial administration
FY2024 · 1.9% of reported expenditures
Reported Dollars
$239,328,000
Review question: Are repeated forms, manual checks and unresolved payment errors making routine government work expensive?
Outcome unverified
Housing and community development
FY2024 · 1.8% of reported expenditures
Reported Dollars
$225,640,000
Review question: For homelessness services, are contracts paying for repeated shelter stays and referrals rather than lasting housing?
Outcome unverified
Other and unallocable
FY2024 · 1.7% of reported expenditures
Reported Dollars
$214,031,000
Review question: Does this broad “other” category make it impossible to see which services receive the money?
Outcome unverified
Judicial and legal services
FY2024 · 1.6% of reported expenditures
Reported Dollars
$200,233,000
Review question: Are court delays making people wait while paperwork and legal costs keep growing?
Outcome unverified
Utilities
FY2024 · 1.3% of reported expenditures
Reported Dollars
$156,795,000
Review question: Are rising utility bills paying for reliable service, or for water, energy and equipment losses?
Outcome unverified
Police protection
FY2024 · 1.2% of reported expenditures
Reported Dollars
$145,648,000
Review question: Are overtime and equipment bills improving emergency response, or adding costs without better coverage?
Outcome unverified
Hospitals
FY2024 · 1.0% of reported expenditures
Reported Dollars
$125,750,000
Spending rose sharply; the reason needs checking
Warning
Natural resources
FY2024 · 0.9% of reported expenditures
Reported Dollars
$116,501,000
Review question: Are conservation projects lasting, or does the government keep paying to repeat failed work?
Outcome unverified
Solid waste management
FY2024 · 0.7% of reported expenditures
Reported Dollars
$90,118,000
Spending rose sharply; the reason needs checking
Warning
Air transportation
FY2024 · 0.6% of reported expenditures
Reported Dollars
$76,075,000
Spending rose sharply; the reason needs checking
Warning
Sewerage
FY2024 · 0.6% of reported expenditures
Reported Dollars
$74,854,000
Review question: Are pipe failures and inefficient equipment causing repeat costs, sewage spills or unsafe treatment?
Outcome unverified
Protective inspection and regulation
FY2024 · 0.4% of reported expenditures
Reported Dollars
$46,392,000
Review question: Are serious safety hazards waiting while inspectors repeat low-risk visits and paperwork?
Outcome unverified
Parks and recreation
FY2024 · 0.3% of reported expenditures
Reported Dollars
$42,351,000
Review question: Are new parks being built while existing facilities remain closed, unsafe or poorly maintained?
Outcome unverified
Libraries
FY2024 · 0.1% of reported expenditures
Reported Dollars
$15,004,000
Review question: Are building and purchasing costs squeezing library opening hours and useful services?
Outcome unverified
Miscellaneous commercial activities
FY2024 · 0.0% of reported expenditures
Reported Dollars
$2,093,000
Review question: Is a government-run business meeting a public need at a cost residents can see?
Outcome unverified
Sea and inland port facilities
FY2024 · 0.0% of reported expenditures
Reported Dollars
$4,000
Review question: Are port expansions needed to handle real cargo demand, or creating costly unused facilities?
Outcome unverified
Liquor stores
FY2024 · 0.0% of reported expenditures
Reported Dollars
$0
No spending is reported for this item
No reported spending
Parking facilities
FY2024 · 0.0% of reported expenditures
Reported Dollars
$0
No spending is reported for this item
No reported spending
Veterans' services
FY2024 · 0.0% of reported expenditures
Reported Dollars
$0
No spending is reported for this item
No reported spending
| Function | Reported Dollars | Status | Action |
|---|---|---|---|
Public welfare #1 SpendFY2024 · 37.0% of reported expenditures | $4,561,021,000 | Outcome unverified Review question: Are payment mistakes and slow applications keeping help from people who qualify? | |
Education FY2024 · 25.2% of reported expenditures | $3,106,417,000 | Outcome unverified Review question: Is school funding reaching students, or being absorbed by repeated office work and unused space? | |
Highways FY2024 · 5.4% of reported expenditures | $666,520,000 | Outcome unverified Review question: Are road projects getting more expensive because of delays, extra charges or repairs that fail? | |
Health FY2024 · 5.0% of reported expenditures | $615,695,000 | Outcome unverified Review question: Are people getting affordable prevention and follow-up care before illness becomes more serious? | |
Government administration and buildings FY2024 · 4.1% of reported expenditures | $510,808,000 | Outcome unverified Review question: Are duplicate offices, empty buildings or expensive purchasing taking money away from public services? | |
Interest on general debt FY2024 · 3.9% of reported expenditures | $484,949,000 | Outcome unverified Review question: How much public money is going to interest on past borrowing instead of today’s services? | |
Corrections FY2024 · 2.5% of reported expenditures | $311,283,000 | Outcome unverified Review question: Are prison costs driven by necessary care and safety, or by overtime and repeated returns to prison? | |
General local government support FY2024 · 2.4% of reported expenditures | $296,989,000 | Outcome unverified Review question: After the state sends money to local governments, can residents see which services it pays for? | |
Financial administration FY2024 · 1.9% of reported expenditures | $239,328,000 | Outcome unverified Review question: Are repeated forms, manual checks and unresolved payment errors making routine government work expensive? | |
Housing and community development FY2024 · 1.8% of reported expenditures | $225,640,000 | Outcome unverified Review question: For homelessness services, are contracts paying for repeated shelter stays and referrals rather than lasting housing? | |
Other and unallocable FY2024 · 1.7% of reported expenditures | $214,031,000 | Outcome unverified Review question: Does this broad “other” category make it impossible to see which services receive the money? | |
Judicial and legal services FY2024 · 1.6% of reported expenditures | $200,233,000 | Outcome unverified Review question: Are court delays making people wait while paperwork and legal costs keep growing? | |
Utilities FY2024 · 1.3% of reported expenditures | $156,795,000 | Outcome unverified Review question: Are rising utility bills paying for reliable service, or for water, energy and equipment losses? | |
Police protection FY2024 · 1.2% of reported expenditures | $145,648,000 | Outcome unverified Review question: Are overtime and equipment bills improving emergency response, or adding costs without better coverage? | |
Hospitals FY2024 · 1.0% of reported expenditures | $125,750,000 | Warning Spending rose sharply; the reason needs checking | |
Natural resources FY2024 · 0.9% of reported expenditures | $116,501,000 | Outcome unverified Review question: Are conservation projects lasting, or does the government keep paying to repeat failed work? | |
Solid waste management FY2024 · 0.7% of reported expenditures | $90,118,000 | Warning Spending rose sharply; the reason needs checking | |
Air transportation FY2024 · 0.6% of reported expenditures | $76,075,000 | Warning Spending rose sharply; the reason needs checking | |
Sewerage FY2024 · 0.6% of reported expenditures | $74,854,000 | Outcome unverified Review question: Are pipe failures and inefficient equipment causing repeat costs, sewage spills or unsafe treatment? | |
Protective inspection and regulation FY2024 · 0.4% of reported expenditures | $46,392,000 | Outcome unverified Review question: Are serious safety hazards waiting while inspectors repeat low-risk visits and paperwork? | |
Parks and recreation FY2024 · 0.3% of reported expenditures | $42,351,000 | Outcome unverified Review question: Are new parks being built while existing facilities remain closed, unsafe or poorly maintained? | |
Libraries FY2024 · 0.1% of reported expenditures | $15,004,000 | Outcome unverified Review question: Are building and purchasing costs squeezing library opening hours and useful services? | |
Miscellaneous commercial activities FY2024 · 0.0% of reported expenditures | $2,093,000 | Outcome unverified Review question: Is a government-run business meeting a public need at a cost residents can see? | |
Sea and inland port facilities FY2024 · 0.0% of reported expenditures | $4,000 | Outcome unverified Review question: Are port expansions needed to handle real cargo demand, or creating costly unused facilities? | |
Liquor stores FY2024 · 0.0% of reported expenditures | $0 | No reported spending No spending is reported for this item | |
Parking facilities FY2024 · 0.0% of reported expenditures | $0 | No reported spending No spending is reported for this item | |
Veterans' services FY2024 · 0.0% of reported expenditures | $0 | No reported spending No spending is reported for this item |
Other reported benefit spending
Separate source scope; excluded from the headline above. Open Details for purpose, analysis and reporting limits.
DATA INTEGRITY STATEMENT
- Source
- U.S. Census Bureau State Government Finances, FY2024. Reported expenditures: $12,324,499,000; general expenditures: $12,167,704,000. All function groups reconcile before rounding. Source: https://data.census.gov/table/GOVSSTATEFINTIMESERIES.GS00STATEFIN01?nkd=time~2024
- Scope
- State government only. Includes general services, transfers, utilities and liquor stores. Insurance trust benefits are a separate finance measure; recipient payments and local-government spending are not a second addition to this total. Finance functions are not agencies. Revenue and spending are separate classifications; the Money Map does not trace individual dollars. Record checks are not official audit findings.
Check the numbers
Sources & downloads
Every Rhode Island figure on this page comes from these records. Download the data or open the original source.
Official budget documents
Planned spending. A separate source from the actual spending above.
Use only enacted or approved documents. Check each document's status and fiscal period before you compare it with actual spending.
Inspect the budget-resource source notesPublished sources
The records behind every figure on this page.
Questions about this tracker
What these records can and cannot show.
The Census FY2024 general-expenditure measure is $12,167,704,000. This excludes utilities, liquor stores and insurance-trust expenditures; the separate measures above show those coverage differences.
No. This is the latest fiscal year in the retrieved Census state-finance bulk release: FY2024. An enacted budget authorizes spending and requires a separate official state budget source.
No. These are accounting records, not audit findings, recipient payment records or evidence of misconduct. Check a specific claim against an audit, contract, payment or documented outcome.
You can compare the same Census measure and year, but total dollars do not adjust for population, prices or which level of government provides a service. Transfers and local spending need careful treatment.
About Rhode Island State Budget & Spending Data
This page is built from two separate datasets: the Enacted Budget, by department; and Actual Spending, reported afterwards. The Money Map displays source, allocation, and recipient summaries where available; it does not trace individual dollars between them.
An Enacted Budget by department for the smallest state in the union, with Actual Spending alongside. Every figure is taken from the published record — ImpactLine adds no estimates and fills no gaps a government has left. See the methodology and sources.
Rhode Island State Budget & Spending Quick Answers
How much is the Rhode Island State budget?
The Rhode Island State Enacted Budget shown totals $13.9632B for FY2025. Source: FY2025 Budget as Enacted (Senate Fiscal Office / House Fiscal).
What is the difference between Rhode Island's Enacted Budget and Actual Spending?
The Enacted Budget (FY2025) is the spending authorised before the year begins. Actual Spending (FY2024) is what was reported afterwards, on its own release cycle, so the two can cover different fiscal years and are kept separate here.
What are the largest departments in the Rhode Island State FY2025 budget?
The FY2025 Enacted Budget totals $13.9632B and is published as 6 lines. The largest are:
- Health and Human Services (EOHHS)$6.2659B
- Education (RIDE & Higher Ed)$3.4833B
- General Government$2.286B
- Transportation (RIDOT)$0.8896B
- Public Safety$0.8886B
- Natural Resources (DEM)$0.1499B
Where does Rhode Island State spend its money?
Actual Spending in FY2024 totalled $12.324B, as published in U.S. Census Bureau · FY2024. The largest areas were:
- Public welfare$4,561,021,000
- Education$3,106,417,000
- Highways$666,520,000
- Health$615,695,000
How is the Rhode Island State budget funded?
The Rhode Island State Enacted Budget draws on these published funding sources:
- General Revenue$5.595B - 40.1%
- Federal Funds$5.066B - 36.3%
- Other Funds$2.839B - 20.3%
- Restricted Receipts$0.463B - 3.3%
From tracking spending to demanding receipts
Public money should leave a public receipt.
Today’s reporting can show spending without a complete trail to the final recipient or proof of delivery. Help close those gaps, strengthen checks before payment, and reduce opportunities for fraud and abuse.
Support the Receipts & Transparency Act →Read the citizen proposal and add your support.