The United States has the most international influence of any country in the world, according to one poll. A leader in scientific and technological innovation, as well as entertainment and culture, the U.S. is also actively engaged in wielding its substantial influence in numerous conflicts and security initiatives around the world.
American influence abroad is also attributable to the amount of foreign aid it gives each year. The U.S. is the largest foreign aid donor in the world by a wide margin, dispersing $44 billion to 198 countries in 2022, according to the federal government – excluding much of the weaponry and military assistance it has provided to Ukraine since the Russian invasion. Though it is the largest sum of any country, it accounts for about 0.2% of gross domestic product. For context, Germany, the world’s second largest contributor of foreign aid, gave $33.3 billion in official development assistance in 2021, or about 0.7% of its GDP, according to the latest year of available data from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.
Each year, American aid is disbursed around the world, earmarked for health programs, disaster relief, economic stability, development assistance, and child nutrition and education initiatives – among others. Covering most of the world, U.S. aid goes to nearly every African, Asian, and Latin American country, as well as much of Europe. But some countries receive far more than others. Some of the countries that receive the most humanitarian aid, including Yemen and Afghanistan, have been the site of U.S. military action.
Using data from the State Department and U.S. Agency for International Development, 24/7 Wall St. identified the countries receiving the most U.S. foreign aid. The 25 countries on this list received anywhere from hundreds of millions to several billion dollars in American aid in 2022.
Generally, U.S. foreign aid is intended to relieve suffering, and many of the countries receiving the most American aid are home to some of the poorest populations in the world. In 11 of the countries on this list, GDP per capita is less than $1,000 a year. For context, GDP per capita in the U.S. is over $70,000. (Here is a look at the 27 poorest nations on Earth.)
The amount of aid the U.S. sends to a given country can fluctuate considerably from year to year, depending on circumstances – like the outbreak of an infectious disease, a natural disaster, or a war. Ukraine, which has been fighting a Russian invasion for over a year, was far and away the largest recipient of American aid in 2022, with $9.0 billion, not including military weapons and material, which are valued at many times that amount. Meanwhile, in 2021, the year before the war, Ukraine received $302 million from the United States.
