What the data says about US foreign aid | Pew Research Center

Short Reads | February 6, 2025

What the data says about U.S. foreign aid
ByDrew DeSilver

Volunteers at the Zanzalima Camp for Internally Displaced People unload an aid delivery from USAID in 2021 in Bahir Dar, Ethiopia.

The Trump administration placed USAID staff around the world on administrative leave starting Feb. 7, 2025.

The Trump administration’s recent moves to freeze foreign aid and shutter the primary agency that distributes it have thrown a spotlight on a relatively small, yet enduringly controversial, piece of federal spending.

The actions have created uncertainty among aid groups and governments around the world about what programs can and cannot proceed.With that in mind, Pew Research Center dug into federal data and our own previous survey work for relevant facts and figures about the U.S. government’s aid efforts, as well as public attitudes toward them.

Find answers to some common questions about U.S. foreign aid, including: How much does the federal government spend on foreign aid? How big is foreign aid as a share of the entire federal budget? What is U.S. foreign aid money used for? Who receives U.S. foreign aid? Who distributes U.S. foreign aid? What about military assistance? How do Americans feel about foreign aid? How much does the federal government spend on foreign aid?

The government is currently on track to spend about $58.4 billion on international assistance programs in the 2025 fiscal year, according to January 2025 projections from the Congressional Budget Office. But since we’re only four months into the fiscal year, and the Trump administration is moving aggressively to reshape and reduce aid, that figure may change.

Source Links: What the data says about US foreign aid | Pew Research Center