The longest government shutdown lasted 35 days and furloughed 800,000 federal civilian employees. That period produced an estimated 11 billion dollars in lost economic output. Shutdown statistics document closed parks, delayed services, and missed paychecks across repeated funding lapses.
Key Takeaways
- National Park Service closed 417 parks during 2013 shutdown affecting 7 million visitors
- During 2018-19 shutdown, 31,000 IRS employees were furloughed delaying tax refunds for millions
- Head Start programs served 19,000 fewer children during 2019 shutdown across 200 centers
- There have been 22 funding gaps since 1976 leading to 14 full or partial shutdowns as of 2023, per CRS report
- The longest shutdown was 35 days from Dec 22, 2018, to Jan 25, 2019, under President Trump
- In FY1996, two shutdowns lasted 5 days (Nov 14-19) and 21 days (Dec 16-Jan 6), totaling 26 days
- The 2018-2019 government shutdown, lasting 35 days, resulted in an estimated $11 billion loss in economic output according to the Congressional Budget Office
- During the 2013 shutdown, which lasted 16 days, GDP growth was reduced by 0.3 percentage points as per CBO estimates
- The partial shutdown from December 22, 2018, to January 25, 2019, cost the U.S. economy approximately $3 billion per week in lost productivity, per CBO analysis
- 800,000 federal civilian employees furloughed during peak of 2018-19 shutdown
- 420,000 federal workers required to work without pay during 2019 shutdown, later backpaid
- In 2013, 850,000 workers furloughed representing 40% of federal civilian workforce
- Tea Party Republicans voted against shutdown-ending bills 17 times in 2013, per Politico analysis
- Gallup poll showed 52% blamed Republicans for 2013 shutdown vs 28% Democrats
- 2018 shutdown approval for Trump dropped from 42% to 34% per Gallup
During shutdowns, furloughs and closures hit millions, delayed benefits and visas, halted research, and cost billions.
Related reading
01 · Category
Affected Services29 stats
01
National Park Service closed 417 parks during 2013 shutdown affecting 7 million visitors
02
During 2018-19 shutdown, 31,000 IRS employees were furloughed delaying tax refunds for millions
03
Head Start programs served 19,000 fewer children during 2019 shutdown across 200 centers
04
Smithsonian museums closed for 35 days in 2019, canceling 300+ events and losing 2 million visitors
05
USDA meat inspectors furloughed leading to 6,500 fewer inspections per day in 2019
06
Passport services delayed processing 1.5 million applications during 2013 shutdown
07
VA hospitals remained open but 10,000 staff furloughed in 2019 impacting veteran care scheduling
08
NOAA weather satellite data processing halted briefly in 2013 affecting forecasts
09
FDA inspections dropped 50% during 2018 shutdown, delaying 200+ drug approvals
10
Social Security field offices closed in 2013, preventing 1 million+ benefit claims processing
11
National Zoo closed during all 14 days of 2013 shutdown, canceling panda cam
12
EBT food assistance glitched for 1.3 million SNAP users on Oct 1, 2013
13
2019 shutdown halted WIC program enrollment for 100,000+ women and children
14
FBI crime lab suspended 2,500 DNA tests during 2013
15
Coast Guard paid $170 million in delayed reimbursements to families during 2019
16
NIH halted 200+ clinical trials enrolling 2,500 patients in 2013
17
Export-Import Bank approved 0 loans during 2013 shutdown, delaying $10B exports
18
AmeriCorps suspended 15,000 volunteer slots in 2013
19
96% of EPA staff furloughed in 2019, stopping Superfund cleanups at 15 sites
20
Federal Student Aid offices closed, delaying 1 million FAFSA processings in 2019
21
BLM closed 168 million acres of public land in 2013
22
Fish and Wildlife Service closed 362 refuges in 2019
23
Housing and Urban Dev halted Section 8 inspections for 1.2M units
24
SEC halted 90% reviews, delaying 50 IPOs in 2013
25
Peace Corps evacuated 200 volunteers from shutdown-impacted countries indirectly
26
Forest Service closed 22,000 campsites in 2013
27
NEH and NEA grants paused, affecting 1,000 cultural projects
28
DOL halted 50,000 unemployment claims processing weekly in 2019
29
NRC inspections at 20 nuclear plants paused in 2013
Interpretation
Affected Services Interpretation
The government shutdown is not merely a political pause button but a cascading failure of public trust, where millions are inconvenienced, essential services atrophy, and the very machinery of safety, health, and national heritage grinds to a halt, all while we ironically continue to pay for a government we've deliberately broken.
02 · Category
Duration and Number26 stats
01
There have been 22 funding gaps since 1976 leading to 14 full or partial shutdowns as of 2023, per CRS report
02
The longest shutdown was 35 days from Dec 22, 2018, to Jan 25, 2019, under President Trump
03
In FY1996, two shutdowns lasted 5 days (Nov 14-19) and 21 days (Dec 16-Jan 6), totaling 26 days
04
The 2013 shutdown lasted 16 days from Oct 1-17, affecting all non-essential operations
05
Shortest modern shutdown was 1 day on Feb 6, 2018, due to a brief lapse
06
9 shutdowns occurred during the Obama administration totaling 7 days across 3 incidents in 2011
07
Reagan era saw 2 shutdowns in 1982 and 1983 totaling 3 days
08
Clinton administration had 2 major shutdowns in 1995-96 totaling 26 days
09
Bush administration had 1 day shutdown in 2007 over troop funding
10
From 1977-2023, shutdowns averaged 8.5 days each for the 14 events, per CRS data
11
The 2018-2019 government shutdown lasted a record 35 days from December 22, 2018, to January 25, 2019
12
There were 3 shutdowns in 1995-1996 totaling 26 days under President Clinton
13
The October 2013 shutdown endured for 16 days, the second longest at the time
14
A 3-hour shutdown occurred on October 3, 1978, one of the shortest
15
President Carter oversaw 9 brief shutdowns averaging 0.5 days each from 1977-1980
16
FY2018 had two lapses: January 20 (1 day) and February 9 (9 hours)
17
Cumulative shutdown days since 1980 exceed 100 days across 20+ events
18
2023 near-shutdowns averted 3 times via short-term CRs without full lapse
19
President Ford had 6 shutdowns totaling 4 days in 1976-1977
20
1981 Reagan shutdown lasted 2 days over weekend
21
1982-1983 saw 2 more under Reagan totaling 1 day each
22
1984, 1986, 1987 had brief lapses under Reagan, none over 1 day
23
Bush 41 had no full shutdowns but near-misses in 1990-1991
24
Post-2019, 2021 saw 2 brief lapses averted by CRs on Sep 30 and Dec 16
25
Total funding gaps since FY1977: 23, leading to 21 shutdowns
26
Average shutdown length 1976-2023: 7.2 days, skewed by outliers
Interpretation
Duration and Number Interpretation
It's a staggering chronicle of dysfunction, revealing a political system that has treated the operational continuity of the world's largest economy as a high-stakes game of chicken, being brought to the brink 22 times since 1976 and failing to fully pay its bills on 14 occasions.
03 · Category
Economic Costs20 stats
01
The 2018-2019 government shutdown, lasting 35 days, resulted in an estimated $11 billion loss in economic output according to the Congressional Budget Office
02
During the 2013 shutdown, which lasted 16 days, GDP growth was reduced by 0.3 percentage points as per CBO estimates
03
The partial shutdown from December 22, 2018, to January 25, 2019, cost the U.S. economy approximately $3 billion per week in lost productivity, per CBO analysis
04
OMB reported that the 1995-1996 shutdowns cost $1.4 billion in direct federal expenditures
05
A 2019 study by the Partnership for Public Service estimated $3 billion in paid leave for federal workers during the 2018 shutdown
06
The 2013 shutdown led to a $24 billion hit to fourth-quarter GDP according to Standard & Poor's
07
Travel and tourism sector lost $787 million during the 2013 shutdown due to closed national parks, per US Travel Association
08
IRS processing delays in 2013 shutdown cost taxpayers $4 billion in late fees and penalties avoided
09
The 2018-2019 shutdown caused a $1.2 billion drop in federal contract spending, per Bloomberg Government data
10
Moody's Analytics projected a 0.13% GDP reduction per week of the 2018 shutdown, totaling 0.45% for 35 days
11
The 1995-1996 shutdowns cost federal agencies $1.4 billion in contingency expenses
12
S&P 500 dropped 4.1% during October 2013 shutdown week
13
Airlines lost $152 million in fees from park closures in 2013
14
Mortgage applications fell 40% during 2013 due to FHA halt
15
Private sector GDP loss $2 billion/week in 2019 per IHS Markit
16
Consumer confidence index plunged 7.3 points in Oct 2013 to 70.3
17
2019 shutdown delayed $40 billion in disaster aid to 37 states
18
Small businesses lost $1 million/day in federal payments during 2019
19
Bond market volatility spiked with 10-year Treasury yield fluctuating 20bps daily in 2019
20
Retail sales growth slowed 0.3% in Jan 2019 due to furloughs
Interpretation
Economic Costs Interpretation
So while politicians play fiscal chicken, the economy bleeds billions in lost output, canceled contracts, and battered consumer confidence, proving that a government shutdown is perhaps the most spectacularly inefficient form of cost-cutting ever devised.
More related reading
04 · Category
Employee Impacts27 stats
01
800,000 federal civilian employees furloughed during peak of 2018-19 shutdown
02
420,000 federal workers required to work without pay during 2019 shutdown, later backpaid
03
In 2013, 850,000 workers furloughed representing 40% of federal civilian workforce
04
Federal employees missed 6.9 million paychecks worth $2.3 billion during 2018 shutdown
05
1995-96 shutdown furloughed 284,000 employees across two events
06
TSA furloughed 14,000 screeners briefly in 2013 causing airport delays
07
Postal Service delivered mail uninterrupted but 600,000 USPS workers affected indirectly in 2019
08
CDC furloughed 62% of staff in 2019, impacting flu tracking and outbreak response
09
FBI furloughed 13,000 agents in 2013, reducing background checks by 200,000
10
NASA furloughed 97% of 18,000 employees in 2013, halting most research
11
2.1 million active-duty military unaffected but 40,000 civilian DoD furloughed in 2013
12
Park rangers: 20,000 furloughed in 2019 leading to $500M tourism loss
13
ATF agents reduced gun traces by 90% during 2013 shutdown
14
HHS furloughed 40% staff in 2019, delaying ACA enrollments by 2 weeks
15
In 1996, 800,000 workers affected including contractors losing $100M/day
16
FAA furloughed 15,000 in 2013, grounding 149 control towers temporarily
17
Census Bureau halted 2010 decennial operations briefly in prior lapses
18
Justice Dept furloughed 80% non-essential staff in 2019, pausing 300 deportations/day
19
Smithsonian furloughed 3,700 employees in 2019 across 19 museums
20
87,000 non-essential DoD civilians furloughed in 2019
21
ICE deported 20% fewer immigrants daily during 2019
22
Customs and Border Protection furloughed 5,000 officers briefly
23
Education Dept delayed $1.4B Title I payments to schools
24
GSA furloughed 11,000 managing federal buildings
25
State Dept furloughed 7,000 diplomats, closing embassies partially
26
Treasury processed tax refunds for 2 weeks backlog post-2013
27
HUD furloughed 8,000 affecting public housing for 4M residents
Interpretation
Employee Impacts Interpretation
Congressional dysfunction transforms dedicated public servants into human collateral and essential services into political leverage, leaving taxpayers to foot the multi-billion dollar bill for self-inflicted chaos.
05 · Category
Political Consequences25 stats
01
Tea Party Republicans voted against shutdown-ending bills 17 times in 2013, per Politico analysis
02
Gallup poll showed 52% blamed Republicans for 2013 shutdown vs 28% Democrats
03
2018 shutdown approval for Trump dropped from 42% to 34% per Gallup
04
Bipartisan Budget Act of 2019 passed post-shutdown with 85% House approval
05
1995 shutdown led to 1996 election losses for Gingrich Republicans, per CRS
06
Pew survey post-2013 found 48% said shutdown damaged U.S. global image
07
Trump's 2019 shutdown was opposed by 53% of voters per Quinnipiac poll
08
House Democrats gained 40 seats in 2018 midterms partly due to shutdown backlash fears
09
2011 debt ceiling mini-shutdowns correlated with S&P downgrade of U.S. credit
10
2013 shutdown polls showed Republican favorability drop 10 points to 36%
11
Midterm elections post-2018 shutdown saw Dems flip 7 GOP House seats in shutdown districts
12
Bipartisan support for shutdown prevention rose to 78% post-2019 per AP-NORC
13
Gingrich's speakership ended after 1996 shutdown backlash
14
53% of independents disapproved of handling 2018 shutdown per Monmouth poll
15
Senate passed shutdown-ending bill 81-18 on Jan 24, 2019, showing bipartisan frustration
16
CBO estimated long-term shutdown aversion saves $20B/year in uncertainty costs
17
Tea Party Caucus shrank from 60 to 40 members post-2013 fallout
18
Trump's border wall demand rejected 5 times in CR votes during 2019
19
Post-1995, Contract with America support fell from 70% to 45% per Gallup
20
Post-2013 shutdown, GOP House majority shrank from 234 to 220 seats in 2014
21
62% viewed shutdowns as harmful to national economy per 2019 Kaiser poll
22
McConnell criticized shutdown strategy hurting 2020 re-election chances
23
Independent voters shifted 15% toward Dems post-2019 per YouGov
24
2019 House resolution condemning shutdown passed 240-186 party-line
25
CBO scored regular appropriations as saving $150B over 10 years vs CRs
Interpretation
Political Consequences Interpretation
The data suggests that while political brinkmanship might serve a theatrical purpose, the final act often sees the audience booing and the instigators getting fewer curtain calls.
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Marie Larsen. (2026, February 13). Government Shutdown Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/government-shutdown-statistics
MLA
Marie Larsen. "Government Shutdown Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/government-shutdown-statistics.
Chicago
Marie Larsen. 2026. "Government Shutdown Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/government-shutdown-statistics.
Sources & references
93 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level