USA FACTS: US foreign aid: which country gets the most?

 

Which countries receive the most foreign aid? The United States has provided more than $3.75 trillion in foreign aid (adjusted for inflation) since the end of World War II. Congress appropriates this aid to foreign governments, international agencies such as the United Nations or World Health Organization, and nongovernmental organizations to support economic development, improve healthcare and education, strengthen democratic institutions, and foster diplomatic relationships. Here are the nations that receive the most foreign aid from the US and how those distributions have changed over time.

The US spent over $50 billion in foreign aid for nearly 200 countries, territories, and geographic regions in 2021. This was less than 0.01% of the federal budget for that year.

Afghanistan received the most in foreign aid in 2021: $1.5 billion. Rounding out the top five recipients were Ethiopia ($1.4 billion), Jordan ($1.3 billion), Yemen ($1.1 billion), and South Sudan ($1.0 billion).

However, the top five recipients of US foreign aid overall look a little different. Over a quarter of all foreign aid — $960 billion — has gone to five countries since World War II: Israel ($312.5 billion), former South Vietnam ($184.5 billion), Egypt ($183.7 billion), Afghanistan ($158.9 billion), and South Korea ($120.7 billion), after adjusting for inflation. Aid to Israel has historically been for military purposes; South Vietnam and Afghanistan aid has been to bolster the nation’s economic infrastructure and enhance their defense capabilities. There’s more at USAFacts.org, including a visualization of all US foreign aid, both economic and military, from 1946 to 2021. See it here.

Which airlines mishandle wheelchairs most often? Every day in the US, approximately 2,000 people who use wheelchairs or other mobility aids board a plane. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services considers mobility aids medical devices, but depending on the type of aid, the traveler might need to check it for the flight. As summer travel season is in full swing, USAFacts looked into Transportation Department data to see how often airlines mishandle wheelchairs and other aids.

In March 2023, one in every 65 mobility aids loaded onto airplane cargo holds were either lost, damaged, or delayed during transport. That adds up to nearly 900 people whose mobility aids weren’t returned in their expected condition in a single month.

Data shows that Spirit Airlines was 12 times more likely to mishandle wheelchairs than baggage, while JetBlue was seven times more likely.

Damages at American Airlines and its subsidiaries, Envoy and PSA, dropped in mid-2019 and have not since returned to their initial high levels. Still, the three airlines mishandle wheelchairs at a higher rate than airlines overall. The Transportation Department has required large airlines to report the total number of checked bags, wheelchairs, and scooters that were lost, damaged, or otherwise mishandled monthly since December 2018. The percentage of mishandled mobility aids has remained between 1% and 2% for the past four years. What’s the data on your preferred airline? Find out here.

Data behind the news Recent flooding in New England led to one death in New York. Officials are still assessing the extent of physical damage. See how New England states have been previously affected by flooding. Incidents of floods have increased in recent years, partly leading to changes in flood insurance premiums. Turkey dropped its opposition to Sweden joining NATO ahead of last week’s NATO summit. Here’s a refresher on NATO and what it costs to be a member. Last week, the Food and Drug Administration approved an over-the-counter birth control medication for the first time. Here are the numbers on birth control use in America. See how well you know the latest articles at USAFacts with the weekly fact quiz.

One last fact

Spending a lot of time in the great outdoors this summer? You might be part of the 39% of Americans who live within a half mile of a park. Over 90% of residents in five states live within walking distance of various parks: Illinois, New York, New Jersey, Oregon, and Minnesota.