In this article, we will look at the 25 countries that receive the most foreign aid from the US. But before that, let’s take an overview of the US foreign aid sector as a whole.
Overview of US Foreign Aid
Despite popular belief, foreign aid does not encompass money alone. It includes anything and everything a country donates to another country, and can include food, materials, goods, or even technical support. Foreign aid in the United States is primarily run through the US Agency for International Development (USAID), a semi-independent agency. According to data from the Council on Foreign Relations, the United States spent an average of $49.5 billion every year between 1946 and 2021.
In addition, estimates by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development’s Development Assistance Committee (DAC) showed that the United States topped the list of the DAC countries that gave the highest net official development assistance in 2021, coming up to $48 billion when considered in current USD. It was followed by Germany at $33 billion, and EU institutions at $19 billion. Further data from the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget shows that the US government obligated $70.4 billion in total foreign aid in FY2022. This amount translates to around 1% of the country’s total spending, and is consistent with the amount of foreign aid budget obligated in the past two decades. On average, the obligations in the past 20 years have come up to less than 2% of the total federal spending. You can also look at 30 Countries That Receive the Most Aid From ILO for more insights.
Regional Breakdown of US Aid
In FY2022, the country getting the most aid from the United States was Ukraine, and this trend has continued ever since Russia’s invasion of the country. The United States gave $12.4 billion in foreign aid to Ukraine in 2022 alone, with the total amount coming up to around $76.8 billion between 2022 and the present. This amount includes the humanitarian, financial, and military aid given to the country.
Israel was the second biggest receiver of foreign aid by the US, with the United States federal government giving $3.3 billion to Israel in 2022. Israel was followed by Ethiopia, Afghanistan, and Yemen at $2.2 billion, $1.4 billion, and $1.4 billion as of the same year, respectively. $16.6 billion were demarcated in obligations to the worldwide programs in the sub-Saharan African region in 2022, while those in the Middle East and North Africa came up to $1.5 billion and $1.2 billion, respectively.
Role of the Private Sector in US Foreign Aid
More than 90% of the financial flows related to US foreign aid to developing countries come from private sources, with less than 10% coming from the government. USAID, the semi-independent agency that regulates a majority of the country’s foreign aid, partners with private organizations all across the globe to draw on their innovations, resources, assets, and expertise. USAID formed more than 1,600 partnerships with private organizations in the past decade, leveraging around $19 billion in private and public funds to support development assistance programs.
For instance, USAID has held a partnership with the Coca-Cola Company (NYSE:KO) since 2005. In its most recent endeavors, the Coca-Cola Company (NYSE:KO) and USAID joined hands for the Nigeria Plastic Solutions Activity (NPSA) in May 2024 with a combined investment of $4 million, funded equally by the two entities. The activity is aimed at regulating plastic waste management in Nigeria by recovering around 49,000 metric tonnes of plastic waste in the country. The investment also aimed at increasing the collection capacity of around 9,500 collectors and 24 aggregators in the country, proving to be a positive step forward in managing Nigeria’s serious plastic waste problem. The program will also create more than 10,000 green jobs in the country to promote clean and safe environmental practices.
Now that we have taken an overview of the foreign aid given by the United States, let us look at the 25 countries that receive the most foreign aid from the US. You can also look at 30 Countries that Receive the Most Aid from UNDP and 26 Companies that Donate to Nonprofits.
25 Countries That Receive the Most Foreign Aid From the US
Our Methodology
In order to compile a list of the 25 countries that receive the most foreign aid from the US, we considered data on the total obligations of all agencies in the US to countries across the world as of 2022, since data for 2023 and 2024 has not been completely reported yet. We derived the estimates for total obligations from the Foreign Assistance website by the US government. The 25 countries that receive the most foreign aid from the US are arranged in ascending order of the total foreign aid obligations by the US government as of 2022.
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25 Countries That Receive the Most Foreign Aid From the US
25. Zimbabwe
Total Obligations by the US Government as of 2022: $400 million
Zimbabwe ranks in the 25th spot on our list of the 25 countries that receive the most foreign aid from the US. The US government’s foreign aid obligations to the country came up to $400 million in 2022. The country has been suffering from an economic crisis since the past decade, with inflation and unemployment soaring to unprecedented heights.
24. Malawi
Total Obligations by the US Government as of 2022: $410 million
Malawi is a landlocked country located in southeastern Africa. High food prices, food shortages, and poverty are some of the many problems plaguing the country, with conditions expected to worsen in 2024, according to World Bank estimates. Malawi ranks 24th on our list.
23. Bangladesh
Total Obligations by the US Government as of 2022: $470 million
The South Asian country of Bangladesh is located east of India on the Bay of Bengal, and houses around 171.2 million people. It ranks 23rd on our list with $470 million in foreign aid obligations made by the US government.
22. Zambia
Total Obligations by the US Government as of 2022: $530 million
Zambia is a landlocked country located in Southern Africa, with a population of $20.02 million. The US government’s foreign aid obligations to the country came up to $530 million in 2022, ranking it 22nd on our list.
21. Iraq
Total Obligations by the US Government as of 2022: $570 million
Iraw holds the 21st spot on our list of the 25 countries that receive the most foreign aid from the US. The country received $570 million in foreign aid obligations from the US government in 2022.
20. Tanzania
Total Obligations by the US Government as of 2022: $610 million
Foreign aid obligations made by the US government to Tanzania came up to $610 million in 2022, ranking the country in the 20th spot on our list. The East African country has a population of 65.5 million as of 2022, according to World Bank estimates.
19. Lebanon
Total Obligations by the US Government as of 2022: $640 million
Lebanon is suffering from an economic crisis, with the Lebanese Pound losing around 95% of its value in 2022. Estimates by the World Bank show that poverty in the country tripled over the past decade, touching 44% of its total population. Lebanon ranks 19th on our list.
18. South Africa
Total Obligations by the US Government as of 2022: $660 million
South Africa ranks 18th on our list with $660 million in foreign aid obligations made by the US government in 2022. South Africa is the southernmost country in the African continent, and houses around 59.89 million people as of 2022.
17. Colombia
Total Obligations by the US Government as of 2022: $680 million
The US government’s foreign aid obligations to Colombia came up to $680 million in 2022, ranking the country in the 17th spot on our list. Colombia is primarily located in South America, with certain insular regions protruding into North America.
16. Mozambique
Total Obligations by the US Government as of 2022: $760 million
The 16th spot on our list of the 25 countries that receive the most foreign aid from the US is held by Mozambique, an East African country with a population of 32.97 million people. It received $760 million in foreign aid obligations from the US government in 2022.
15. Uganda
Total Obligations by the US Government as of 2022: $790 million
Uganda is a landlocked country located in East Africa with a population of 47.25 million people as of 2022, according to estimates by the World Bank. The country received $790 million in foreign aid obligations from the United States in 2022.
14. Syria
Total Obligations by the US Government as of 2022: $830 million
With around $830 million in foreign aid obligations made by the US government, Syria ranks in the 14th spot on our list. According to the United States Institute of Peace, war in the country has internally displaced around 6.2 million Syrians, with 5.6 million living as refugees in Jordan, Turkey, Lebanon, and other countries.
13. Sudan
Total Obligations by the US Government as of 2022: $860 million
The North African country of Sudan houses 46.87 million people as of 2022, according to estimates by the World Bank. The United States government’s foreign aid obligations to the country came up to $860 million in 2022.
12. Democratic Republic of Congo
Total Obligations by the US Government as of 2022: $910 million
The Democratic Republic of Congo has faced decades of poor governance, colonial aggression, and conflicts. The total obligations made by the United States government to the country came up to $910 million as of 2022.
11. Kenya
Total Obligations by the US Government as of 2022: $1 billion
The United States government’s foreign aid obligations to Kenya come up to $1 billion as of 2022. The country ranks 11th on our list.
10. South Sudan
Total Obligations by the US Government as of 2022: $1.12 billion
South Sudan is a landlocked country in East Africa, and houses 10.91 million people as of 2022, according to estimates by the World Bank. The country received $1.12 billion in foreign aid obligations from the US in 2022.
9. Somalia
Total Obligations by the US Government as of 2022: $1.13 billion
The ninth spot on our list of the 25 countries that receive the most foreign aid from the US is held by Somalia, the easternmost country in Africa. It suffers from poor governance, climate change, and humanitarian crises, with food security further worsening living conditions.
8. Nigeria
Total Obligations by the US Government as of 2022: $1.15 billion
Nigeria is a lower-middle-income country located in Africa’s Gulf of Guinea. The United States government’s total foreign aid obligations to the country came up to $1.15 billion in 2022.
7. Jordan
Total Obligations by the US Government as of 2022: $1.18 billion
The Arab nation of Jordan is located on the east bank of the Jordan River, and has a population of 11.29 million as of 2022, according to estimates by the World Bank. The country’s foreign aid obligations from the US come up to $1.18 billion as of 2022.
6. Egypt
Total Obligations by the US Government as of 2022: $1.36 billion
Egypt received $1.36 billion in foreign aid obligations from the United States government in 2022, giving it the sixth spot on our list. The country connects the Middle East to northeast Africa.
5. Yemen
Total Obligations by the US Government as of 2022: $1.37 billion
Yemen takes the fifth spot on our list of the 25 countries that receive the most foreign aid from the US. The US government’s foreign aid obligations to the country came up to $1.37 billion in 2022.
4. Afghanistan
Total Obligations by the US Government as of 2022: $1.38 billion
Afghanistan is a war-torn, landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and South Asia. The country ranks fourth on our list with foreign aid obligations worth $1.38 billion as of 2022. Estimates by the World Bank show that the country’s GDP underwent a serious contraction of 20.7% in 2021, further falling by 6.2% in 2022.
3. Ethiopia
Total Obligations by the US Government as of 2022: $2.2 billion
Located in the horn of Africa, Ethiopia is a landlocked country with a population of 123.4 million as of 2022, according to estimates by the World Bank. The US government’s foreign aid obligations to the country came up to $2.2 billion in 2022.
2. Israel
Total Obligations by the US Government as of 2022: $3.3 billion
Officially known as the State of Israel, Israel is a country located in Southern Levant, West Asia. The Israel-Palestine conflict has prompted the US government to come forth in the country’s support, with foreign aid obligations to the country amounting to $3.3 billion as of 2022.
1. Ukraine
Total Obligations by the US Government as of 2022: $12 billion
Ukraine ranks first on our list of the 25 countries that receive the most foreign aid from the US. The United States government announced foreign aid obligations worth $12 billion to Ukraine in 2022 alone, with similar trends continuing till the present, bringing the total foreign aid to the country around $76.8 billion. The ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict is the primary cause behind the increasing foreign aid being sent to the country. According to estimates by the Council on Foreign Relations, air strikes and fighting in the country have resulted in more than 30,000 civilian casualties, internally displacing 3.7 million people. In addition, around 6.5 million residents of the country have fled to escape war.
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