What does the do?

Refreshed annually

The Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board (DNFSB) is an independent agency within the executive branch responsible for providing independent analysis, advice, and recommendations to the president and the Secretary of Energy regarding public health and safety issues at Department of Energy defense nuclear facilities. It was established in 1988.

In FY 2025,

$44M

was spent by the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board
In FY 2025,

<0.1%

of federal spending was by the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board

How much does the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board spend?

The Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board spent $44 million in fiscal year (FY) 2025. This was 0.00063% of the $7.04 trillion in overall federal spending. The department ranked 80th among federal agencies in total spending.

The Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board accounted for <0.1% of all federal spending in FY 2025.

Share of DNFSB net spending compared to the top ten highest spending agencies in FY 2025

Federal spending may shift over time due to population growth, changes in policy and programs, and emerging problems to address. Adjusting for inflation, the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board’s federal spending has increased from $7.86 million in 1990 to $44 million in 2025.

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The Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board’s federal spending in FY 2025 was higher than in FY 1990.

Yearly federal net spending by DNFSB, adjusted for inflation (2025 dollars), FYs 1990–2025

Since 1990, Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board spending has increased 460%, while overall spending has increased 124.9%.
The department’s spending grew more than overall spending, which means that the department’s share of the federal budget increased. In 2025, DNFSB accounted for 0.00063% of all federal spending. That’s 0.00037 percentage points higher than in 1990 and 0.000069 percentage points lower than in 2015.
Major legislation, internal or global economic conditions, and acute events like the COVID-19 pandemic can affect spending year to year. For example, the federal budget fluctuated during the pandemic, rising from $5.3 trillion (in 2023 dollars) in 2019 to $7.7 trillion in 2020 and $7.8 trillion in 2021.

The Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board's share of federal spending in FY 2025 was higher than in FY 1990.

Percentage of federal budget dedicated to DNFSB, FYs 1990–2025

Most federal spending can be categorized as direct or indirect. Direct spending refers to money the federal government spends on budget items such as federal programs, employee salaries, and debt interest. Indirect spending refers to federal transfers to state and local governments.
In FY 2025, all of the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board's spending was direct.
The chart below outlines all net DNFSB spending.

How did the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board spend its budget in 2025?

Federal government net spending isolated to DNFSB, FY 2025

How many people work for the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board?

Some 100 of the 2.02 million total civilian federal employees work for the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board as of May 2026. This is 5.7% fewer people than the department staffed in 2012.

The number of federal employees working for the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board has decreased 5.7% since 2012.

Number of federal employees working for DNFSB, May 2012–2026

DNFSB accounts for 0.0049% of the overall federal workforce. As the number of federal employees has changed, so too has the way the workforce is organized, with resources allocated to agencies depending on government priorities. DNFSB constituted a smaller share of the overall federal workforce in May 2026 than in 2012 (0.005%).
While the number of employees on an agency’s payroll contributes to that agency’s expenditures, some agencies have relatively few employees compared to their budget or vice versa, giving them an outsized share of either the budget or the workforce. According to the most recent data, the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board’s share of the workforce (0.0049%) is larger than its share of the budget (0.00063%).

Who leads the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board?

The DNFSB consists of up to five members and is led by a board chair. These members are appointed by the president for staggered five-year terms.

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Methodology

USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.

Page sources

USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.