U.S. foreign aid is plunging in second Trump administration

What the report says

Pew Research Center reported July 21 that U.S. foreign assistance dropped sharply in fiscal 2025, reaching $47.3 billion in disbursements, or about $26 billion below fiscal 2024. Using ForeignAssistance.gov data adjusted to 2025 dollars, Pew said the total was the lowest since fiscal 2004. The federal fiscal year ended Sept. 30, 2025, during the first year of President Donald Trump’s second administration.

The decline follows several years of elevated aid levels after Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Pew’s analysis found inflation-adjusted foreign assistance peaked at $85.1 billion in fiscal 2023 and was $73.5 billion in fiscal 2024. In fiscal 2025, foreign assistance accounted for 0.67% of total federal spending, down from roughly 1% for much of the 2008-2021 period.

Pew also reported that aid appears to be falling further in fiscal 2026: as of July 1, the government had disbursed just under $7 billion, covering about three-quarters of the fiscal year. The analysis focused on actual disbursements rather than appropriations or budget requests, and Pew noted that the database does not include most arms sales or military equipment transfers handled through separate programs.

Ukraine remained the largest country recipient in fiscal 2025, receiving about $6.7 billion, down 34.1% from the previous year. Israel received $3.3 billion, nearly all military and security assistance, while Jordan received $1.7 billion. As of July 1 in fiscal 2026, Jordan had received the largest country-specific amount listed, followed by the West Bank and Gaza and Ethiopia.