How much does the US spend on public broadcasting (CPB) a year?

$586.2 million in fiscal year 2025 (October 2024 to September 2025), in net outlays recorded by the Treasury for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB). In FY2024 it was $585.0 million.

What share of the federal budget goes to public broadcasting (CPB)?

0.008% of all federal outlays in FY2025 ($586.2 million of $7.01 trillion): about $0 of every $1,000 the government spent.

How much is that per person?

About $1.72 per US resident in FY2025, or $1.6 million a day.

How much does public broadcasting (CPB) cost per taxpayer?

About $3.60 per individual income tax return: $586.2 million divided by the 162.8 million individual returns the IRS received in FY2025. Federal spending is paid for by all taxes and borrowing together, so this is an average, not what any one taxpayer pays; your tax receipt shows your own share.

How much has been spent on public broadcasting (CPB) in 2026?

In FY2026 through August 2026 it spent $8.0 million, down 99% on the same months of FY2025 ($586.2 million). Fiscal year 2026 ended on 30 September 2026; the September statement, published in mid-October, completes it.

Has spending on public broadcasting (CPB) gone up?

From $444.8 million in FY2015 to $586.2 million in FY2025, +32% in nominal dollars.

Is this the budget or actual spending?

Actual spending: outlays are what the Treasury paid out in each fiscal year. The budget Congress passes sets budget authority (what an agency may commit), which can be spent over several years, so appropriations in the news can differ from these figures.

Public broadcastingFY2025 and FY2026 to date

How much does the government spend on PBS and NPR?

$586.2 million in fiscal year 2025: 0.008% of all federal spending.That is about $1.72 per US resident, or $3.60 per individual tax return. In FY2026 through August 2026 it spent $8.0 million, down 99% on the same months of FY2025 ($586.2 million). Treasury figures for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB).

FY2025

$586.2M

+0% on FY2024

FY2026 to date

$8.0M

through Aug '26, -99%

Per US resident

$1.72

FY2025

Per tax return

$3.60

162.8M individual returns

By year

Public broadcasting (CPB): $444.8 million in FY2015, $586.2 million in FY2025

Net outlays by fiscal year (October to September), nominal dollars · FY2026* = to August 2026

Every year as a table, with the share of federal outlays

Fiscal year	Net outlays	Share of federal outlays
FY2026 to Aug '26	$8.0 million	0.00%
FY2025	$586.2 million	0.01%
FY2024	$585.0 million	0.01%
FY2023	$535.0 million	0.01%
FY2022	$485.0 million	0.01%
FY2021	$640.0 million	0.01%
FY2020	$540.0 million	0.01%
FY2019	$465.0 million	0.01%
FY2018	$465.0 million	0.01%
FY2017	$495.0 million	0.01%
FY2016	$485.0 million	0.01%
FY2015	$444.8 million	0.01%

U.S. Treasury, Monthly Treasury Statement, Table 5.

By month

Largest month: October 2024, $534.4 million

Net outlays in each month. Large one-month amounts are usually lump-sum transfers or accounting adjustments.

Monthly figures as a table

Month	Outlays in the month	Fiscal year to date
October 2025	$8.0 million	$8.0 million
July 2025	$51.8 million	$586.2 million
October 2024	$534.4 million	$534.4 million
April 2024	$60.0 million	$585.0 million
October 2023	$525.0 million	$525.0 million
January 2023	$60.0 million	$535.0 million
October 2022	$475.0 million	$475.0 million
April 2022	$20.0 million	$485.0 million
October 2021	$465.0 million	$465.0 million
April 2021	$175.0 million	$640.0 million
February 2021	$13.5 million	$465.0 million
January 2021	$6.5 million	$451.5 million
October 2020	$445.0 million	$445.0 million
April 2020	$75.0 million	$540.0 million
February 2020	$15.6 million	$465.0 million
December 2019	$4.4 million	$449.4 million
November 2019	-$2,861	$445.0 million
October 2019	$445.0 million	$445.0 million
November 2018	$20.0 million	$465.0 million
October 2018	$445.0 million	$445.0 million
April 2018	$13.6 million	$465.0 million
October 2017	$451.4 million	$451.4 million
June 2017	$50.0 million	$495.0 million
October 2016	$445.0 million	$445.0 million

U.S. Treasury, Monthly Treasury Statement, Table 5.

Federal culture agencies

Net outlays from the same Treasury table.

Account	FY2015	FY2025	FY2026 so far
Corporation for Public Broadcasting	$444.8M	$586.2M	$8.0M
National Endowment for the Arts	$145.9M	$233.3M	$136.3M
National Endowment for the Humanities	$146.3M	$197.4M	$61.2M
Museum and library grants (IMLS)	$229.1M	$336.9M	$214.4M
Smithsonian Institution	$970.8M	$1.4B	$1.2B

On your tax bill

Federal spending is paid for by all taxes and borrowing together, so each dollar of federal income tax is split in proportion to spending. Public broadcasting (CPB) took 0.008% of it in FY2025.

Income	Income tax	To public broadcasting (CPB)
$40,000	$2,620	$0.22
$60,000	$5,020	$0.42
$75,000	$7,670	$0.64
$100,000	$13,170	$1.10
$150,000	$24,734	$2.07

Single filer. Tax: 2026 federal brackets after the standard deduction, no credits. Share: 0.01% of total federal outlays in FY2025. Enter your own income for every part of the budget.

What this counts

Outlays to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the private nonprofit through which federal money reaches public television and radio. CPB passes most of it to local public TV and radio stations, which pay dues and program fees to PBS and NPR; PBS and NPR receive little federal money directly.

Figures are net outlays: payments made, minus any offsetting collections credited to the same accounts, as printed in the Monthly Treasury Statement. They are not adjusted for inflation.

Questions and answers

How much does the US spend on public broadcasting (CPB) a year?: $586.2 million in fiscal year 2025 (October 2024 to September 2025), in net outlays recorded by the Treasury for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB). In FY2024 it was $585.0 million.
What share of the federal budget goes to public broadcasting (CPB)?: 0.008% of all federal outlays in FY2025 ($586.2 million of $7.01 trillion): about $0 of every $1,000 the government spent.
How much is that per person?: About $1.72 per US resident in FY2025, or $1.6 million a day.
How much does public broadcasting (CPB) cost per taxpayer?: About $3.60 per individual income tax return: $586.2 million divided by the 162.8 million individual returns the IRS received in FY2025. Federal spending is paid for by all taxes and borrowing together, so this is an average, not what any one taxpayer pays; your tax receipt shows your own share.
How much has been spent on public broadcasting (CPB) in 2026?: In FY2026 through August 2026 it spent $8.0 million, down 99% on the same months of FY2025 ($586.2 million). Fiscal year 2026 ended on 30 September 2026; the September statement, published in mid-October, completes it.
Has spending on public broadcasting (CPB) gone up?: From $444.8 million in FY2015 to $586.2 million in FY2025, +32% in nominal dollars.
Is this the budget or actual spending?: Actual spending: outlays are what the Treasury paid out in each fiscal year. The budget Congress passes sets budget authority (what an agency may commit), which can be spent over several years, so appropriations in the news can differ from these figures.

Sources and notes

U.S. Department of the Treasury, Monthly Treasury Statement, Table 5: Outlays of the U.S. Government, line "Corporation for Public Broadcasting", every month from March 2015 to 2026-08-31, Fiscal Data API. Public domain.
Per tax return: 162,754,810 individual income tax returns filed in FY2025, IRS Data Book Table 1-2.
Population: U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 estimates, 50 states and DC.
Tax on your bill: 2026 IRS brackets and standard deduction (Rev. Proc. 2025-32 as amended), as in our calculator.