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What does the do?

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The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is a subdivision of the Department of Agriculture responsible for protecting and promoting US agricultural health, regulating genetically engineered organisms, administering the Animal Welfare Act, and carrying out wildlife damage management activities. APHIS works to ensure the health and care of animals and plants, in relation to the economy and public health. It was established in 1972.

In FY 2024,

$2.39B

was spent by the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
In FY 2024,

1.2%

of Dept. of Agriculture spending was by the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

How much does the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service spend?

The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service spent a net total of $2.39 billion in fiscal year (FY) 2024. This was 1.2% of the $203.4 billion spent by the Department of Agriculture, which itself was 3% of all federal spending. The APHIS ranked 8th among USDA subdivisions in net spending.
Net spending is the difference between agency spending and any financial accounts generating funds from the agency’s own activities, like fees or rent. When these funds offset all spending, net spending appears negative. Some agencies tend to operate with positive net spending while others will register negative net spending sometimes or often.

The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service ranked 8th among Department of Agriculture divisions in net spending in 2024.

USDA net spending by division, FY 2024

Like the overall federal budget, agency spending may shift over time due to population growth, changes in policy and programs, and emerging problems to address. Adjusting for inflation, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service’s federal spending has increased from $754.2 million in 1980 to $2.39 billion in 2024.

The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service’s federal spending in FY 2024 was higher than in FY 1980.

Yearly federal net spending by APHIS, adjusted for inflation (2024 dollars), FYs 1980–2024

Since 1980, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service's spending has increased 217.3%, while overall spending has increased 193.7%.
As a percentage of the overall federal budget, a positive number means agency net spending made up some positive share of total federal spending; a negative number means that net generated funds offset a portion of total spending. APHIS spending grew more than overall federal spending since 1980, which means that its share of the federal budget increased. In 2024, APHIS accounted for 0.035% of overall federal spending.

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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 Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service’s share of federal spending in FY 2024 was higher than in FY 1980.

Net spending by APHIS as a share of federal spending, FYs 1980–2024

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 2024, all of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service's spending was direct.
The chart below outlines all net APHIS spending.

How did the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service spend its budget in 2024?

Federal government net spending isolated to APHIS, FY 2024

How many people work for the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service?

Some 8,664 of the 2.31 million total civilian federal employees work for the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service as of September 2024. This is 3.7% fewer people than the division staffed in 2010.

The number of federal employees working for the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has decreased 3.7% since 2010.

Number of federal employees working for APHIS, September 2010–2024

The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service accounts for 0.4% 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. The division constituted a similar share of the overall federal workforce in September 2024 compared to 2010 (0.4%).
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 Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service's share of the workforce (0.4%) is larger than its share of the budget (0.035%).

Who leads the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service?

The APHIS is led by an Administrator. This individual is appointed by the Secretary of Agriculture and reports to the Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs. The Administrator serves at the pleasure of the Secretary of Agriculture, with no fixed term length.

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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.

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