How much does the us spend on foreign aid?

Given the many agencies, funding methods, and categories of aid associated with U. S. foreign assistance efforts, estimates can differ. According to the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service (CRS), which uses the broadest definition of aid [PDF], including military and security assistance, total spending was nearly $49 billion in 2015. read more

The average answer was that foreign aid accounts for 31 percent of the U. S. budget; 15 percent of the people thought it represented over half of all spending. That misconception is a stubborn one. In a 1998 survey, the average answer put foreign aid at 26 percent of the budget. read more

Foreign aid is a highly partisan issue in the United States, with liberals, on average, supporting government-funded foreign aid much more than conservatives do, who tend to prefer to provide foreign aid privately. read more

Given the many agencies, funding methods, and categories of aid associated with U.S. foreign assistance efforts, estimates can differ. According to the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service (CRS), which uses the broadest definition of aid [PDF], including military and security assistance, total spending was nearly $49 billion in 2015. read more

The average answer was that foreign aid accounts for 31 percent of the U.S. budget; 15 percent of the people thought it represented over half of all spending. That misconception is a stubborn one. In a 1998 survey, the average answer put foreign aid at 26 percent of the budget. read more