What does the do?

Refreshed annually

The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (USHMM) is a national institution dedicated to the documentation, study, and interpretation of Holocaust history. The museum's primary mission is to advance and disseminate knowledge about this history, and educate citizens and leaders to confront hatred and prevent genocide. The museum was established in 1993. The Council that founded it, the United States Holocaust Memorial Council, was established by Congress in 1980.

In FY 2025,

$66M

was spent by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
In FY 2025,

<0.1%

of federal spending was by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

How much does the Holocaust Memorial Museum spend?

The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum spent $66 million in fiscal year (FY) 2025. This was 0.00094% of the $7.04 trillion in overall federal spending. The agency ranked 71st among federal agencies in total spending.

The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum accounted for <0.1% of all federal spending in FY 2025.

Share of USHMM 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 United States Holocaust Memorial Museum’s federal spending has increased from $1.42 million in 1981 to $66 million in 2025.

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The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum’s federal spending in FY 2025 was higher than in FY 1981.

Yearly federal net spending by USHMM, adjusted for inflation (2025 dollars), FYs 1981–2025

Since 1981, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum's spending has increased 4,552.9%, while overall spending has increased 184.9%.
The department’s spending grew more than overall spending, which means that the department’s share of the federal budget increased. In 2025, USHMM accounted for 0.00094% of all federal spending. That’s 0.00088 percentage points higher than 1981 and 0.0004 points higher 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 United States Holocaust Memorial Museum's share of federal spending in FY 2025 was higher than in FY 1981.

Percentage of federal budget dedicated to USHMM, FYs 1981–2025

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 United States Holocaust Memorial Museum's spending was direct.
The chart below outlines all net USHMM spending.

How did the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum spend its budget in 2025?

Federal government net spending isolated to USHMM, FY 2025

How many people work for the Holocaust Memorial Museum?

Some 90 of the 2.02 million total civilian federal employees work for the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum as of May 2026. This is 50.8% fewer people than the department staffed in 2012.

The number of federal employees working for the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum has decreased 50.8% since 2012.

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

USHMM accounts for 0.0045% 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. USHMM constituted a smaller share of the overall federal workforce in May 2026 than in 2012 (0.0087%).
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 United States Holocaust Memorial Museum’s share of the workforce (0.0045%) is larger than its share of the budget (0.00094%).

Who leads the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum?

The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (USHMM) is led by the Museum Director. The director is appointed by the museum's governing body and serves at their discretion. The director's term typically continues until they resign, are replaced, or the governing body decides to appoint a new director.

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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.