Government

What does the do?

Updates published annually

The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) is a subdivision of the Department of the Interior responsible for managing and administering land held in trust by the US for Native Americans, Native American tribes, and Alaska Natives. The agency provides services directly or through contracts, grants, and compacts to federally recognized tribes. It was established in 1824.

In FY 2024,

$2.78B

was spent by the Bureau of Indian Affairs
In FY 2024,

16.3%

of Dept. of the Interior spending was by the Bureau of Indian Affairs

How much does the Bureau of Indian Affairs spend?

The Bureau of Indian Affairs spent a net total of $2.78 billion in fiscal year (FY) 2024. This was 16.3% of the $17.1 billion spent by the Department of the Interior, which itself was 0.3% of all federal spending. The BIA ranked third among DOI 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 Bureau of Indian Affairs ranked third among Department of the Interior divisions in net spending in 2024.

DOI 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 Bureau of Indian Affairs’ federal spending has decreased from $4.07 billion in 1980 to $2.78 billion in 2024.

The Bureau of Indian Affairs’s federal spending in FY 2024 was lower than in FY 1980.

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

Since 1980, Bureau of Indian Affairs' spending has decreased 31.7%, 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. BIA spending grew less than overall federal spending since 1980, which means that its share of the federal budget decreased. In 2024, BIA accounted for 0.041% of overall federal spending.

Our government is complex. Our data doesn’t have to be.

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get data-backed answers to today’s most debated issues

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 Bureau of Indian Affairs’s share of federal spending in FY 2024 was lower than in FY 1980.

Net spending by BIA 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, the Bureau of Indian Affairs transferred 6.6% of its total spending to states and local governments.
The chart below outlines all net BIA spending.

How did the Bureau of Indian Affairs spend its budget in 2024?

Federal government net spending isolated to BIA, FY 2024

How many people work for the Bureau of Indian Affairs?

Some 3,748 of the 2.31 million total civilian federal employees work for the Bureau of Indian Affairs as of September 2024. This is 60.2% fewer people than the division staffed in 2010.

The number of federal employees working for the Bureau of Indian Affairs has decreased 60.2% since 2010.

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

The Bureau of Indian Affairs accounts for 0.2% 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 smaller 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 Bureau of Indian Affairs' share of the workforce (0.2%) is larger than its share of the budget (0.041%).

Who leads the Bureau of Indian Affairs?

The BIA is led by a Director. This individual is appointed by the Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs and does not need Senate confirmation. The Director reports to the Assistant Secretary of Indian Affairs. There is no fixed term for this position.

Keep exploring

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.

  • Office of Personnel Management

    FedScope

  • Office of Management and Budget and US Department of the Treasury

    Budget of the US Government and Monthly Treasury Statement

    Office of Management and Budget and US Department of the Treasury logo