Why does it matter what people in other countries think of the U.S.?
On foreign aid, what it pays for and why we spend 1% of the federal budget to help people in other countries.
I’m reading an interesting novel about World War II, written from the perspective of civilians in Russia. “The Bronze Horseman” by Paullina Simons is depressing but well written and has captured my attention. I just got to the part when the U.S. entered the war, and how that moment brought equipment, supplies and hope to the people of Leningrad.
(Don’t worry. This isn’t going to be a story about how we should still be comrades with Russia.)
That moment in the book reminded me that the world is a pretty small place and having friends you can call during emergencies is essential.
The United States remains arguably the most powerful nation in the world. How long will that last if we abandon our friends and stand alone? Why does it matter that we share our rich resources — not just goods but people — when a neighbor is dealing with an earthquake or a tsunami or an epidemic or a military invasion?
First, we hope they will do the same for us when we’re in need. Second, to stop the epidemic or war before it reaches our shores. Third, we’re all stronger together. And fourth, it’s the right thing to do. With great power comes great responsibility.
I had planned to write about the U.S. Agency for International Development this week, but then on Friday Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy came to visit and we all know how our president treated this ally in front of the entire world, basically announcing that we had switched sides in the war after three years of supporting Ukraine and then cutting off U.S. aid to our ally.
Over the weekend, we heard more about the impact of the Trump Administration’s decision to stop spending money on U.S. foreign aid, through USAID. Internal memos from USAID leaders say closing the agency will lead to hundreds of thousands of deaths, from a million children suffering from severe malnutrition and 166,000 people dying from malaria, plus polio leaving 200,000 more children paralyzed over the next decade because the U.S. stopped caring about helping stop that disease in other countries.
Every human should agree that these preventable deaths are sad, but how many of us also see this work helping others around the globe as a responsibility of the United States government and the taxpayers who fund it? What if you had another reason to care, not just because saving lives is the moral thing to do? Have you seen the videos from the Middle East of people chanting “death to America?” Do you remember 9/11? That hatred was the genesis of a terrorist attack on our country just 24 years ago. We do not need more hatred from our neighbors sending the next attack to our shores.
So even if you don’t believe rich nations should do their best to help their poorer neighbors, you should understand three things about U.S. aid to our friends and neighbors, both military aid and the other kinds of help like USAID provides:
Love of the United States is much better for this country than animus.
Saving lives abroad prevents some of the world’s problems from coming to our shores.
When we’re in trouble, we want to be able to depend on our friends to come to our aid.
BONUS: The food, vaccines and military equipment we sent overseas are largely made in the U.S. by our corporations and our farmers, so foreign aid is also important for jobs and the economy.
Still not convinced?
Maybe you are wondering what exactly U.S. aid to other countries consists of and where this help is going.
According to the Pew Research Center, the U.S. government is set to spend about $58.4 billion on all international assistance programs during the 2025 fiscal year. But Trump administration actions could change that number.
In fiscal 2023, the most recent year for which we have relatively complete data, the U.S. government gave out $71.9 billion in foreign aid, according to ForeignAssistance.gov. That’s a slight decrease from fiscal 2022, when the total was $74.0 billion. These numbers do not include arms sales or transfers of military equipment to other countries.
You shouldn’t be surprised to hear that the U.S. government is the single-largest aid donor in the world, according to the United Nations. Our spending accounted for more than 40% of all humanitarian aid the UN kept track of in 2024.
That may seem like a lot of money, but our government has a lot to spend. Foreign aid only makes up about 1% of the U.S. federal budget. The numbers vary from year to year depending on international need. In times of greater need, maybe because of natural disasters, the amount goes up.
Foreign aid includes health care, such as vaccines or treatment for diseases; economic development, like helping other countries improve their agriculture system or modernize industries; humanitarian aid, including food and other supplies during a natural disaster; and smaller amounts for environmental work, and to support democracy or human rights efforts.
The U.S. Agency for International Development is the United State’s main aid agency. The agency employed nearly 5,000 people, many overseas, as of March 2024, but that number has been cut dramatically since the Trump Administration began dismantling USAID by laying off most of its employees and pausing most of its activities.
Another way the United States distributes foreign aid is through the State Department, which spent $21.3 billion in aid in fiscal 2023. A number of other U.S. agencies spend some money on foreign aid, but in much smaller amounts.
Guns, bombs and other weapons
Then there’s a separate category of military aid. The U.S. government explains the purpose of sending military aid to other countries as contributing to global stability, supporting our allies and other democracies, fighting terrorism, as well as combating trafficking in weapons, drugs and people.
Only $8.2 billion of the $71.9 billion in foreign aid from fiscal 2023 was designated as military aid, according to ForeignAssistance.gov. But there’s more, according to the Pew Research Center.
Approved nations can buy American weapons and other equipment and services through the Foreign Military Sales program. Those sales, which sometimes come with government financial help, totaled $117.9 billion in fiscal 2024, according to the State Department.
Allies and partner nations can also buy arms directly from American manufacturers, with some restrictions established by the government. The government estimates direct commercial military sales totaled $200.8 billion in fiscal 2024.
The biggest recipient of U.S. military aid in most recent years has been Israel, with other top recipients including Somalia, Jordan and Egypt. Ukraine was the biggest recipient of overall foreign aid in fiscal 2024, but just a fraction of that help comes as military aid.
Go deeper: Keep reading
Dig into the data with links and more information from the Pew Research Center: https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2025/02/06/what-the-data-says-about-us-foreign-aid/
Data dashboard from the U.S. government:
https://www.foreignassistance.gov/
The Associated Press explains the impact of USAID around the globe:
https://apnews.com/article/usaid-hiv-humanitarian-assistance-disease-spending-20f9cb969ffb6773e57886e34bf69165
The Guardian’s analysis of USAID cuts:
https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/ng-interactive/2025/feb/21/the-impact-has-been-devastating-how-usaid-freeze-sent-shockwaves-through-ethiopia
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I know how important USAID is to fostering and maintaining friendships and to the health of our own citizens and national security. But many of our fellow citizens simply don’t believe it. It’s frustrating.