Foreign aid often competes with U.S. needs
Core finding
In a Verasight survey of 3,000 U.S. adults conducted Sept. 22 to 29, 2025, 71% of Americans said government spending on foreign aid comes at the expense of helping people in need within the U.S. This includes 46% who said a great deal and 26% who said some.
About one in five said it comes at little or no expense (22%), with 15% who said not much and 7% who said not at all.
Topline scale
71% of Americans say foreign aid spending comes at the expense of helping people in the U.S.
In your view, how much does government spending on foreign aid come at the expense of assisting people in need within the United States?
n = 1,000 · Sep 22–29, 2025 · MoE ±3.3%
Methodology
Full methodology →| Mode | Verasight panel recruited via random address-based sampling, random person-to-person text messaging, and dynamic online targeting |
|---|---|
| Population | US adults age 18+ |
| Field dates | Sep 22–29, 2025 |
| Base (unweighted) | 1,000 |
| Margin of error | ±3.3% |
| Module | Verasight APSA Omnibus Survey #2025-119 |
| Sponsor | Verasight |
| Weight variable | weight |
| Weighting targets | age, race/ethnicity, sex, income, education, region, metropolitan status |
Sources
- reports.verasight.io/r/apsa-2025
In your view, how much does government spending on foreign aid come at the expense of assisting people in need within the United States?
Cite this question
Verasight APSA Omnibus Survey #2025-119, fielded September 22-29, 2025, N=1,000 US adults age 18+, +/- 3.3%.