United States Agency for International Development

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is a de jure agency of the executive branch of the United States federal government. USAID was formerly the world's largest foreign aid agency, but it received major cutbacks in 2025 with its remaining functions being transferred to the United States Department of State. USAID was established in 1961, helping to counter the influence of the Soviet Union during the Cold War through soft power. In 2025, the Trump administration ended 83% of overall projects, and the agency is due to close its doors by September 2026. However, USAID had been reorganized by the United States Congress as an independent agency in 1998 and can only be abolished by an act of Congress. As such, it legally still exists. From 2001 to 2024, USAID had an average budget of $23 billion a year and missions in over 100 countries in areas as diverse as education, global health, environmental protection, and democratic governance. From 2001 to 2021, USAID programs were estimated to save between 4 and 4 million lives per year, including between 1 and 1 million children under five.