American Foreign Aid Spending: Funding By Country Report

The use of taxpayer dollars for foreign aid came up briefly during the first presidential debate. The topic will likely garner a much larger chunk of airtime during the final two debates, which will focus more on foreign policy. Many Americans are largely unaware of the US Agency for International Development, which plays a massive role in the amount of taxpayer-funded assistance sent around the globe for humanitarian aid and economic development.

The amount of money spent on foreign aid, when the United States is so deeply in debt, is becoming a hot topic in the presidential campaign. Both Mitt Romney and President Barack Obama are expected to voice their detailed opinions on the matter in the coming weeks. According to the Huffington Post, America spends approximately $50 billion in foreign aid each year. The United States is by far the biggest foreign donor in the entire world, according to the Foreign Assistance website.

Reuters reports that $850 million was allocated for to help fund Pakistan’s military development of counter-insurgency capabilities in fiscal year 2012. The United States typically offers fiscal aid to approximately 150 countries, the Center for American Progress notes.

American aid to Egypt was $1.3 billion, a figure similar to recent years, but the money came with strings attached. The Egyptian government had to certify to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, that the funds supported the transition to a civilian government which would hold free and fair elections.

American foreign aid by country statistics:

India – $124,485,000

China – $17,800,000

Russian Federation – $66,138,000

Iran – $472,060,000

Iraq – $472,060,000

Ukraine – $120,907,000

Myanmar – $38,527,000

Yemen – $545,699,000

Indonesia – $205,716,000

Turkmenistan – $11,074,000

Mexico – $178,189,000

Nicaragua – $24,462,000

Brazil – $24,340,000

South Africa – $571,135,000

Namibia – $103,218,000

Mozambique – $386,692,000

Ethiopia – $519,003,000

Libyan Arab Jamahiriya – $203,183,000

Niger – $17,540,000

Venezuela – $5,000,000

Peru – $99,837,000

Ecuador – $22,669,000

Chile – $1,400,000