By Elizabeth Shell and Matt Stiles at Code With Me DC.
On which foreign militaries has America splurged since 1946 and in recent years? On which have we skimped?
Our interactive chart allows you to rank and order countries in a variety of ways. Sortable by 2010 aid, total percent of 2010 aid, total aid since 1946 or the percent of total aid since 1946.
Many Americans think our government spends far too much money on foreign aid because the totals seem eye-popping. As the chart points out, in 2010 we spent $14.5 billion in total military foreign aid, far from chump change. But to put this sum in perspective, it makes up much less than one-percent of total federal spending, and that percentage hasn't changed much over the years. Even compared to what we spend in our total defense budget, the amount is modest.
All currency figures presented in 2010 dollars for comparison purposes. Percentages are rounded to two decimal places.
Source: "U.S. Overseas Loans and Grants," compiled by USAID and available at data.gov.