What does the do?

Refreshed annually

The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) is an independent agency responsible for supporting research, education, preservation, and public programs in the humanities. The agency provides grants to cultural institutions such as museums, archives, libraries, colleges, universities, public television and radio stations, and individual scholars. It was established in 1965.

In FY 2025,

$197M

was spent by the National Endowment for the Humanities
In FY 2025,

25.7%

of National Foundation on the Arts and Humanities spending was by the National Endowment for the Humanities

How much does the National Endowment for the Humanities spend?

The National Endowment for the Humanities spent a net total of $197 million in fiscal year (FY) 2025. This was 25.7% of the $768 million spent by the National Foundation on the Arts and Humanities, which itself was 0.011% of all federal spending. The NEH ranked third among ARTS 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 National Endowment for the Humanities ranked third among National Foundation on the Arts and Humanities divisions in net spending in 2025.

ARTS 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 National Endowment for the Humanities’ federal spending has decreased from $674.4 million in 1980 to $197 million in 2025.

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The National Endowment for the Humanities’s federal spending in FY 2025 was lower than in FY 1980.

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

Since 1980, the National Endowment for the Humanities' spending has decreased 70.8%, 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. NEH spending grew less than overall federal spending since 1980, which means that its share of the federal budget decreased. In 2025, NEH accounted for 0.0028% 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 National Endowment for the Humanities’s share of federal spending in FY 2025 was lower than in FY 1980.

Net spending by NEH 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 National Endowment for the Humanities transferred 32.0% of its total spending to states and local governments.
The chart below outlines all net NEH spending.

How did the National Endowment for the Humanities spend its budget in 2025?

Federal government net spending isolated to NEH, FY 2025

How many people work for the National Endowment for the Humanities?

Some 65 of the 2.03 million total civilian federal employees work for the National Endowment for the Humanities as of May 2026. This is 65.1% fewer people than the division staffed in 2012.

The number of federal employees working for the National Endowment for the Humanities has decreased 65.1% since 2012.

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

The National Endowment for the Humanities accounts for 0.0032% 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 (0.0032%).
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 National Endowment for the Humanities’ share of the workforce (0.0032%) is larger than its share of the budget (0.0028%).

Who leads the National Endowment for the Humanities?

The NEH is led by a chair. This individual is nominated by the president of the United States and confirmed by the Senate for a term of four years.

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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.