How Much Does the US Spend on Farm Subsidies?
A complete breakdown of U.S. farm subsidy spending from 2017 to 2025 — year by year, with context on what it means for taxpayers.
The Short Answer
The U.S. spent $128.87B on farm subsidies from 2017–2025 — an average of $14.32B/year. Spending peaked at $38.73B in 2020 due to COVID-19 relief. That's about $95/year per taxpayer.
Year-by-Year Breakdown
| Year | Payments | Total Amount | % of Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 2,276,899 | $6.35B | 4.9% |
| 2018 | 3,538,051 | $15.23B | 11.8% |
| 2019 | 5,579,359 | $23.72B | 18.4% |
| 2020← peak | 6,111,541 | $38.73B | 30.0% |
| 2021 | 1,574,436 | $9.19B | 7.1% |
| 2022 | 1,611,775 | $7.16B | 5.6% |
| 2023 | 1,539,299 | $9.09B | 7.1% |
| 2024 | 3,015,607 | $16.99B | 13.2% |
| 2025 | 182,680 | $2.42B | 1.9% |
| Total | 25,429,647 | $128.87B | 100% |
Spending Over Time
Putting It in Context
At roughly $14.32B per year, farm subsidies represent about 0.3% of the federal budget. For the average American taxpayer, that works out to about $95 per year — roughly the cost of a streaming subscription.
However, the spending is highly concentrated. Five states — Texas, Iowa, Illinois, Kansas, and North Dakota — receive nearly a third of all farm subsidies. And within states, the top 10% of recipients collect about 75% of the money.
Why Did Spending Spike in 2018–2020?
Two major events caused farm subsidy spending to roughly triple in just three years:
- Trade War (2018–2019): The Market Facilitation Program distributed $13.5B to offset losses from U.S.-China tariffs.
- COVID-19 (2020): The Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) added $14.2B in pandemic relief payments, pushing 2020 to a record $38.73B.
Read more in our COVID spending analysis and trade war analysis.
How Much Do You Contribute?
Use our Taxpayer Calculator to see exactly how much of your federal taxes go to farm subsidies based on your income.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does the US spend on farm subsidies?
From 2017 to 2025, the U.S. government distributed $128.87B in farm subsidies through 157 USDA programs. That averages roughly $14.32B per year.
How much has farm subsidy spending increased?
Farm subsidy spending spiked dramatically in 2018-2020 due to the trade war with China ($13.5B in tariff bailouts) and COVID-19 ($14.2B in pandemic relief). Spending in 2020 was $38.73B — more than double the typical year.
What year had the most farm subsidies?
2020 was the peak year with $38.73B in payments — driven primarily by COVID-19 pandemic relief programs and existing trade war bailout programs.