U.S. foreign assistance has always had the twofold purpose of furthering America's interests while improving lives in the developing world. USAID carries out U.S. foreign policy by promoting broad-scale human progress at the same time it expands stable, free societies, creates markets and trade partners for the United States, and fosters good will abroad.

Spending less than 1 percent of the total federal budget, USAID works in over 100 countries to:

Promote broadly shared economic prosperity;
Strengthen democracy and good governance;
Protect human rights;
Improve global health,
Advance food security and agriculture;
Improve environmental sustainability;
Further education;
Help societies prevent and recover from conflicts; and
Provide humanitarian assistance in the wake of natural and man-made disasters.