What does the do?

Refreshed annually

The Economic Development Administration (EDA) is a subdivision of the Department of Commerce that supports regional growth by promoting innovation and competitiveness. It provides grants and technical assistance for projects that create jobs and stimulate industrial and commercial activity. The agency was established in 1965.

In FY 2025,

$1.29B

was spent by the Economic Development Administration
In FY 2025,

4.4%

of Dept. of Commerce spending was by the Economic Development Administration

How much does the Economic Development Administration spend?

The Economic Development Administration spent a net total of $1.29 billion in fiscal year (FY) 2025. This was 4.4% of the $29.7 billion spent by the Department of Commerce, which itself was 0.4% of all federal spending. The EDA ranked 5th among DOC 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 Economic Development Administration ranked 5th among Department of Commerce divisions in net spending in 2025.

DOC net spending by division, FY 2025

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 Economic Development Administration’s federal spending has decreased from $4.2 billion in 1980 to $1.29 billion in 2025.

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The Economic Development Administration’s federal spending in FY 2025 was lower than in FY 1980.

Yearly federal net spending by EDA, adjusted for inflation (2025 dollars), FYs 1980–2025

Since 1980, Economic Development Administration’s spending has decreased 69.2%, while overall spending has increased 196.9%.
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. EDA spending grew less than overall federal spending since 1980, which means that its share of the federal budget decreased. In 2025, EDA accounted for 0.018% of overall federal spending.
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 Economic Development Administration’s share of federal spending in FY 2025 was lower than in FY 1980.

Net spending by EDA as a share of federal spending, FYs 1980–2025

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, the Economic Development Administration transferred 94.5% of its total spending to states and local governments.
The chart below outlines all net EDA spending.

How did the Economic Development Administration spend its budget in 2025?

Federal government net spending isolated to EDA, FY 2025

How many people work for the Economic Development Administration?

Some 191 of the 2.03 million total civilian federal employees work for the Economic Development Administration as of May 2026. This is 5.9% fewer people than the division staffed in 2012.

The number of federal employees working for the Economic Development Administration has decreased 5.9% since 2012.

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

The Economic Development Administration accounts for 0.0094% 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 May 2026 compared to 2012 (0.0096%).
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 Economic Development Administration’s share of the workforce (0.0094%) is smaller than its share of the budget (0.018%).

Who leads the Economic Development Administration?

The EDA is led by an Assistant Secretary. This individual is appointed to the position and does not require Senate confirmation. The Assistant Secretary reports to the Secretary of Commerce. There is no fixed term for this position.

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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.