Pew Launches a New, Improved Interactive State Budget Data and Analysis Platform

WASHINGTON, D.C.— The Pew Charitable Trusts announced today the launch of a major update to Fiscal 50, an interactive platform that provides timely data and analysis of state fiscal conditions.

The new Fiscal 50 allows visitors to view, sort, and analyze data on key trends that shape states’ fiscal health now and over the long term. It also includes Pew’s trusted research and analysis to help users understand how these trends interact—and how they relate to real-time developments unfolding in state capitols throughout the country. The new Fiscal 50 features include:

• State-specific pages that help readers track trends in their home state and compare them with other states.
• Interactive indicator pages on topics such as tax revenue and population change with customizable, shareable data visualizations.
• A new "Budget Threads" feature that offers timely analysis of the latest state fiscal news.

“Stable, sustainable budgets protect states’ policy priorities and ensure the continuity of key services that Americans rely on,” said Melissa Maynard, Fiscal 50’s project director. “Fiscal 50 can help policymakers better understand the fiscal, economic, and demographic trends that will shape their states’ fiscal futures and use data to make more informed decisions.”

Fiscal 50 first launched in 2013 with the goal of helping policymakers access and understand the drivers of long-term budgetary trends. Using interactive graphics, Fiscal 50 illustrated trends across key indicators of states’ long-term financial health, providing insights that have been widely cited by government officials, print and broadcast media, academics and other researchers, and even the U.S. Supreme Court. This update builds on that original purpose, adding clear, accessible, and customizable data and analysis that draw on Pew’s broad fiscal and economic expertise.

“Pew has been at the forefront of research on states—with data and analysis that empowers state leaders,” said Kil Huh, senior vice president of Pew’s government performance portfolio. “By providing data-driven insights that illuminate state budgeting, Pew aims to help strengthen our nation’s civic infrastructure.”

Explore the updated Fiscal 50 at www.pewtrusts.org/fiscal50.

###

Founded in 1948, The Pew Charitable Trusts uses data to make a difference. Pew addresses the challenges of a changing world by illuminating issues, creating common ground, and advancing ambitious projects that lead to tangible progress. Pew’s state fiscal policy project works with policymakers to reimagine their approach to fiscal management, reaching beyond the budget conditions of today to plan for the risks and investment needs of tomorrow.