Government

What does the do?

Updates published annually

The Risk Management Agency (RMA) is a subdivision of the Department of Agriculture responsible for helping farmers and ranchers manage their business risks. The agency provides crop insurance to protect against agricultural production losses due to natural disasters. It was established in 1996.

In FY 2024,

$9.8B

was spent by the Risk Management Agency
In FY 2024,

4.8%

of Dept. of Agriculture spending was by the Risk Management Agency

How much does the Risk Management Agency spend?

The Risk Management Agency spent a net total of $9.8 billion in fiscal year (FY) 2024. This was 4.8% of the $203.4 billion spent by the Department of Agriculture, which itself was 3% of all federal spending. The RMA ranked third 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 Risk Management Agency ranked third 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 Risk Management Agency’s federal spending has increased from $3.55 billion in 1996 to $9.8 billion in 2024.

The Risk Management Agency’s federal spending in FY 2024 was higher than in FY 1996.

Yearly federal net spending by RMA, adjusted for inflation (2024 dollars), FYs 1996–2024

Since 1996, the Risk Management Agency's spending has increased 176.4%, while overall spending has increased 115.8%.
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. RMA spending grew more than overall federal spending since 1996, which means that its share of the federal budget increased. In 2024, RMA accounted for 0.1% 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 Risk Management Agency’s share of federal spending in FY 2024 was higher than in FY 1996.

Net spending by RMA as a share of federal spending, FYs 1996–2024

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 Risk Management Agency's spending was direct.
The chart below outlines all net RMA spending.

How did the Risk Management Agency spend its budget in 2024?

Federal government net spending isolated to RMA, FY 2024

How many people work for the Risk Management Agency?

Some 413 of the 2.31 million total civilian federal employees work for the Risk Management Agency as of September 2024. This is 22.4% fewer people than the division staffed in 2010.

The number of federal employees working for the Risk Management Agency has decreased 22.4% since 2010.

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

The Risk Management Agency accounts for 0.018% 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 (0.025%).
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 Risk Management Agency's share of the workforce (0.018%) is smaller than its share of the budget (0.1%).

Who leads the Risk Management Agency?

RMA is led by an administrator. This individual is appointed by the Secretary of Agriculture and reports directly to the Undersecretary for Farm Production and Conservation. The term length for the administrator is not fixed.

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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

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

    Budget of the US Government and Monthly Treasury Statement

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