Where your taxes goFY2025
What percentage of your taxes goes to foreign aid and international affairs?
About 1%, or 1¢ of every federal dollar: International Affairs cost $45.2 billion in FY2025.Foreign aid and diplomacy was the 14th largest of 17 federal budget functions, down from 1.3% in FY2015.
On your tax bill
Your federal tax times the FY2025 share (0.6%).
| Federal tax you pay | Goes to foreign aid and diplomacy |
|---|---|
| $2,000 | $13 |
| $5,000 | $31 |
| $10,000 | $63 |
| $20,000 | $126 |
| $50,000 | $314 |
Share by year
Foreign aid and diplomacy: share of federal spending
Percent of gross function outlays · * = fiscal year to date
Amounts and shares as a table
| Year | Outlays | Share |
|---|---|---|
| FY2015 | $48.6 billion | 1.3% |
| FY2016 | $45.3 billion | 1.1% |
| FY2017 | $46.3 billion | 1.1% |
| FY2018 | $49.0 billion | 1.2% |
| FY2019 | $52.7 billion | 1.2% |
| FY2020 | $67.7 billion | 1.0% |
| FY2021 | $46.9 billion | 0.7% |
| FY2022 | $71.7 billion | 1.1% |
| FY2023 | $69.3 billion | 1.1% |
| FY2024 | $72.0 billion | 1.0% |
| FY2025 | $45.2 billion | 0.6% |
| FY2026* | $44.9 billion | 0.6% |
U.S. Treasury, Monthly Treasury Statement, Table 9.
Dollars by year
Federal outlays on foreign aid and diplomacy
Nominal dollars · * = fiscal year to date
U.S. Treasury, Monthly Treasury Statement, Table 9.
What this covers
What the federal budget function "International Affairs" covers: Economic and security assistance to other countries, the State Department and embassies, and contributions to international organizations.
In FY2026 through August 2026, the share was 0.6% ($44.9 billion so far). Shares are of the sum of all budget functions with positive outlays, the same base as our federal budget pie chart and the tax calculator.
Country-by-country figures: US foreign aid by country.
Other parts of the budget
Share of FY2025 federal spending.
- Social Security22%
- Medicare14%
- Health care and Medicaid14%
- Interest on the national debt13%
- The military13%
- Welfare, food stamps and income support10%
- Veterans5%
- Roads and transportation2%
- The environment and natural resources1%
- Law enforcement, courts and prisons1%
- Education1%
- Agriculture and farm subsidies1%
- NASA and science1%
Questions and answers
- What percentage of taxes goes to foreign aid and diplomacy?
- About 1%: foreign aid and diplomacy took 0.6% of federal spending in FY2025 ($45.2 billion). Federal spending is paid for by all taxes plus borrowing, so the same share applies to your federal tax.
- How much does the US spend on foreign aid and diplomacy?
- $45.2 billion in fiscal year 2025 (October 2024 to September 2025), according to the Monthly Treasury Statement. That is about $132 for every person in the United States.
- How much of my taxes goes to foreign aid and diplomacy?
- $6 of every $1,000 you pay in federal tax, using FY2025 spending shares.
- Has spending on foreign aid and diplomacy gone up?
- In FY2025 it was 0.6% of federal spending, down from 1.3% in FY2015. In dollars it went from $48.6 billion to $45.2 billion.
Sources and notes
- U.S. Department of the Treasury, Monthly Treasury Statement, Table 9, September 2025 (year-end) and later months, Fiscal Data API. Public domain.
- Population: U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 estimates, 50 states and DC, July 2025.
- What each function covers: the budget function definitions of the Office of Management and Budget, summarised.