Top federal agencies by spending: FY2026
FY2026 ended Sep 30 · data still posting · data as of 2026-11-01†
† DoD contract data posts to USAspending about 90 days after award.
≈ computed · obligations
Department of Health and Human Services obligated $2.2T in FY2026 (data still posting), more than any other federal agency. Cabinet departments and independent agencies at the top tier, ranked by what they obligated. Sub-agencies roll up into their parent here and are ranked separately. Computed
Ranked from USASpending records. FY2020 to FY2026 are loaded. FY2026 ended on September 30, 2026, and its records are still posting, so each total is shown beside the same name's FY2025 figure, with no percentage change. Rank vs FY2025 is each name's change in position from FY2025, and positions can still move as late FY2026 records post; a dash means the name was not in FY2025's data.
Quick findings
Computed- The top 10 account for 96% of the $5.5T combined total of all 77 agencies listed.
- Peace Corps rose the most, from #46 in FY2025 to #35 in FY2026.
- Appalachian Regional Commission fell the most among those listed, from #32 in FY2025 to #56 in FY2026.
Obligations are commitments, not outlays: an agency obligates money in the year it awards, which can precede the year the money is actually paid.
Questions
- Which federal agency spends the most in FY2026?
- Department of Health and Human Services, with $2.2T obligated in FY2026 (data still posting), ahead of Social Security Administration at $1.7T.
- Why is the Department of Defense not first?
- Because this ranks all obligations, and the health and retirement programs run by HHS and the Social Security Administration move more money than defense procurement does. Ranked by CONTRACT dollars alone, Defense leads by a wide margin.
- Where does this ranking come from?
- It is computed from USASpending.gov award records, which are U.S. government works and in the public domain. Each figure is the agency's total obligations for FY2026 (data still posting). TheFiscalFinder does the ranking; the underlying figures are the government's own.
- How many agencies are shown?
- The top 77 for FY2026 (data still posting). Each row opens that agencie's own page, where the same money is broken out by year, by counterparty and by place.
- Does a high position mean anything is wrong?
- No. This is a description of where public money went in FY2026 (data still posting), computed from public records. It is not an allegation about anyone on it.