What does the Food and Drug Administration do?

Updates published annually

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is a subdivision of the US Department of Health and Human Services responsible for protecting public health by ensuring the safety, efficacy, and security of human and veterinary drugs, biological products, and medical devices. The agency also oversees the safety and security of the nation’s food supply, cosmetics, and products that emit radiation. It was established in 1906.

In FY 2024,

$3.87B

was spent by the Food and Drug Administration

In FY 2024,

0.2%

of Dept. of Health and Human Services spending was by the Food and Drug Administration

How much does the Food and Drug Administration spend?

The Food and Drug Administration spent a net total of $3.87 billion in fiscal year (FY) 2024. This was 0.2% of the $1.72 trillion spent by the Department of Health and Human Services, which itself was 25.4% of all federal spending. The FDA ranked 8th among HHS 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 Food and Drug Administration ranked 8th among Department of Health and Human Services divisions in net spending in 2024.

HHS 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 Food and Drug Administration’s federal spending has increased from $1.27 billion in 1980 to $3.87 billion in 2024.

The Food and Drug Administration’s federal spending in FY 2024 was higher than in FY 1980.

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

Since 1980, the Food and Drug Administration's spending has increased 205.2%, 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. FDA spending grew more than overall federal spending since 1980, which means that its share of the federal budget increased. In 2024, FDA accounted for 0.057% 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 Food and Drug Administration’s share of federal spending in FY 2024 was higher than in FY 1980.

Net spending by FDA 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 Food and Drug Administration's spending was direct.

The chart below outlines all net FDA spending.

How did the Food and Drug Administration spend its budget in 2024?

Federal government net spending isolated to FDA, FY 2024

How many people work for the Food and Drug Administration?

Some 20,912 of the 2.31 million total civilian federal employees work for the Food and Drug Administration as of September 2024. This is 41.1% more people than the division staffed in 2010.

The number of federal employees working for the Food and Drug Administration has increased 41.1% since 2010.

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

The Food and Drug Administration accounts for 0.9% 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 larger share of the overall federal workforce in September 2024 compared to 2010 (0.7%).

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 Food and Drug Administration's share of the workforce (0.9%) is larger than its share of the budget (0.057%).

Who leads the Food and Drug Administration?

The FDA is led by the Commissioner of Food and Drugs. This individual is appointed by the President of the United States and requires confirmation by the Senate. The Commissioner reports to the Secretary of Health and Human Services. 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.

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