Giving to international affairs, 1968–2008
($ in billions)

13.30

11. 51

9. 84

6. 71

5.08

2. 23 3. 32

Current dollars Inflation-adjusted dollars

0.89

1. 62

1968 1973 1978 1983 1988 1993 1998 2003 2008 Giving to the international affairs subsector began to be tracked separately in 1987.

 

Giving to international affairs has increased steadily from 1988 to 2004. Since 2004, it has fluctuated considerably.

In 1988, the inflation-adjusted amount given to international affairs ($1.62 billion) divided by the number of American households ( 91. 12 million, using Current Population Survey data from the Census Bureau) results in an estimate of giving to international affairs of $18 (adjusted for inflation) per household.

In a similar calculation including giving from all donor types, by 1998, the number of households had grown to 102. 53 million and the per household average gift to international affairs had nearly quadrupled to $65. For 2008, with total estimated giving from all sources to international affairs of $13.3 billion and approximately 116. 78 million households, donations to international affairs increased to an average of $114 per household.

The calculations of giving “per household” include all households, even those that do not give to international affairs. They also include all international affairs giving, including that from corporations, foundations, and through charitable bequests. This allows for comparison over time and across subsectors.