Posted February 2005 on Foreign Policy website.
Shortly after a tsunami swept through the Indian Ocean last December, a U.N. official complained that the West was “stingy” with its relief donations. Stung by this criticism, the Bush administration increased its financial pledge tenfold overnight—while loudly asserting that the United States actually led the global pack in foreign aid. Is the world’s wealthiest country a scrooge or a savior?
“The U.S. Government Provides More Foreign Aid than Any Other Country.”
Yes. The United States gives more cash to developing countries than any other nation. Of the $69 billion in development assistance given by the world’s 22 top donors in 2003, the U.S. government contributed $16.3 billion, or just under 25 percent. But these sums mainly reflect that the United States is the largest and wealthiest donor country, accounting for 40 percent of the 22 donor countries’ total income. So, it should come as no surprise that the United States gives substantially more than, say Canada, which has one tenth the population and a much lower average income.
When U.S. foreign aid is measured on other scales, however, a different picture emerges. For example, the United States provided about $51 per citizen in official development assistance in 2002–03. That ranks it in 16th place among other major donors, behind Norway ($381 per citizen), the Netherlands ($203 per citizen), France ($96 per citizen), and the United Kingdom ($89 per citizen), among others. When aid is measured as a share of national income, the United States ranks dead last at 0.15 percent. Top givers include Norway (0.92), Denmark (0.84), Belgium (0.60), and Germany (0.28).
Moreover, foreign aid constitutes only a small share of the U.S. federal budget—much smaller than most Americans think. Surveys show that most Americans believe the federal government devotes 15 to 20 percent of the country’s expenditures to aid. The actual figure is far less than 1 percent; that’s less than one fourth of the budget share of 1965.
More.
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9 comments:
what about all the americans losing their jobs an in turn lose their homes!!!!!!!y cant the US take care of it's own.....but were quick to throw billions to these other countries, i feel sorry for what happened in hatti but we need help here......obama is worthless!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
awwwww poooor you. I HONESTLY care what you say
The stats that were quoted do not include the amount of military spending that the USA does every year to protect millkions and millions around the world. More claptrap...
The amount of foreign aid given by the U.S. is too much regardless of which scale this article compares.
Majority of funds are wasted, stolen, or skimmed by thugs and dictators with no accountability or follow up by our government.
Of course we must assist with natural disasters, tsnammi, hurricane or earthquake relief, but this ongoing waste of our funds must end.
you forgot one other stat, how much american blood has been spilled on every continent for all these other countries. care to run the numbers on that and see how it stacks up against the rest of the world?
didn't think so!
maybe we ought to let all the politicians and the liberals send their money and their children to help all these cesspools!
If any of the "don't help Haiti" conserves previously supported going into Iraq or Kosovo, then they need to sit back and STFU while we get these people help.
Does the article include private donations made directly by U.S. citizens to various ministries and causes associated with foreign nations???
anonymous 10:24, absolutely not! That's what my beef is about this whole thing.
I love how America gives the most money but the writer makes it sound like it almost doesnt count because we are the wealthiest country in the world so we should be giving even more. These countries hate us 364 days of the year, they curse our country and declare America is the imperialist enemy then they bitch that were not giving enough money to them.
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