What countries receive the most foreign aid from the US?
Data updated January 14, 2025
In fiscal year (FY) 2023 — the most recent fully-reported year — Ukraine received $16.6 billion, the most of any country. This amount reflects disbursements, a measure of foreign aid that captures when money is actually transferred out of US government accounts. Foreign aid is reported by more than 20 agencies within the federal government that fund foreign assistance activities.
$16.6B
US foreign aid given to Ukraine, most of any country (FY 2023)
8
countries received over $1B in aid (FY 2023)
The modern concept of foreign aid began in 1946 when the US began giving money to countries in post-war Europe to rebuild their infrastructure and economies. The United States has continued to provide foreign assistance to other countries for humanitarian, security, peace, and economic development purposes. Investing in global security and stability serves US national security interests by creating strategic and economic connections with other countries. Foreign aid dollars are sent to governments and other implementing partners overseas to deliver programs specific to the purpose of the aid. Implementing partners include “... church and faith based organizations, enterprises, ... multilateral organizations, networks, non–government organizations, public and private partnerships, and universities and research institutes.”
In FY 2023, foreign aid by country ranged from $1.8 thousand to $16.6 billion; the median aid package was $43.7 million, and 173 of the 196 countries recognized by the US Department of State received aid. Ukraine ($16.6 billion), Israel ($3.3 billion) and Ethiopia ($1.8 billion) received the most, collectively accounting for 30% of all US foreign aid spending.
88% of countries received foreign aid from the US.
Inflation-adjusted disbursements, FY 2023
The top aid recipient in FY 2023 — Ukraine — received more money from the US than the bottom 159 aid-receiving countries combined. Some places that receive aid are not recognized by the US Department of State as countries and are not dependencies or territories of any other sovereign country. In FY 2023, these were West Bank and Gaza ($112.0 million) and Taiwan ($136.1 million).
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Foreign aid spending reflects the strategic priorities of the US, which change over time to focus on different parts of the world. The shifting nature of US aid means that the list of countries that have received the most cumulative support is different from the list of countries that received the most in FY 2023.
Since FY 2001, most US foreign aid has gone to Afghanistan.
Top aid receiving countries, FY 2001–2023, billions of inflation-adjusted dollars
Methodology
USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.
The analysis was generated with the help of AI and reviewed by USAFacts for accuracy.
