What is the biggest federal assistance program in FY2025?

Social Security Retirement Insurance, obligating $1.3T in FY2025.

What is a CFDA number?

The identifier from the federal Assistance Listings catalogue (formerly the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance). Every grant, loan and direct-payment program has one, which is how the same program can be tracked across agencies and years.

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 FY2025 obligations recorded against that assistance program. TheFiscalFinder does the ranking; the underlying figures are the government's own.

How many programs are shown?

The top 100 for FY2025. Each row opens that program'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 FY2025, computed from public records. It is not an allegation about anyone on it.

Top federal assistance programs: FY2025

≈ computed · CFDA

FY2025 · complete year · data as of 2026-09-01

Social Security Retirement Insurance was the largest federal assistance program in FY2025, obligating $1.3T. Ranked by CFDA program — the catalogue number every federal grant, loan and direct-payment program carries. This is the named-program view of assistance spending. Computed

Ranked from USASpending records. FY2020 to FY2026 are loaded.

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Quick findings

Computed

The top 10 account for 85% of the $4.4T combined total of all 100 programs listed.

#	Name	FY2025
1	Social Security Retirement InsuranceAssistance Listing 96.002	$1.3T
2	Grants to States for MedicaidAssistance Listing 93.778	$666.1B
3	Medicare Supplementary Medical InsuranceAssistance Listing 93.774	$568.6B
4	Medicare Hospital InsuranceAssistance Listing 93.773	$432.5B
5	Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected DisabilityAssistance Listing 64.109	$174.1B
6	Medicare Prescription Drug CoverageAssistance Listing 93.770	$162.5B
7	Social Security Disability InsuranceAssistance Listing 96.001	$157.3B
8	Social Security Survivors InsuranceAssistance Listing 96.004	$114.9B
9	Supplemental Nutrition Assistance ProgramAssistance Listing 10.551	$87.1B
10	Highway Planning and ConstructionAssistance Listing 20.205	$67.4B
11	Supplemental Security IncomeAssistance Listing 96.006	$64.5B
12	Federal Pell Grant ProgramAssistance Listing 84.063	$40B
13	Section 8 Housing Choice VouchersAssistance Listing 14.871	$37.6B
14	Disaster Grants - Public Assistance (Presidentially Declared Disasters)Assistance Listing 97.036	$28.3B
15	National School Lunch ProgramAssistance Listing 10.555	$27.7B
16	Children's Health Insurance ProgramAssistance Listing 93.767	$20.5B
17	Title I Grants to Local Educational AgenciesAssistance Listing 84.010	$18.3B
18	Temporary Assistance for Needy FamiliesAssistance Listing 93.558	$17B
19	Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment ProgramAssistance Listing 11.035	$16.9B
20	Project-Based Rental Assistance (PBRA)Assistance Listing 14.195	$16.7B
21	1332 State Innovation WaiversAssistance Listing 93.423	$16.1B
22	Social Insurance for Railroad WorkersAssistance Listing 57.001	$14.5B
23	Special Education Grants to StatesAssistance Listing 84.027	$14.1B
24	Head StartAssistance Listing 93.600	$11.8B
25	Post-9/11 Veterans Educational AssistanceAssistance Listing 64.028	$10.8B
26	Federal-State Partnership for Intercity Passenger RailAssistance Listing 20.326	$10.6B
27	Veterans Dependency and Indemnity Compensation for Service-Connected DeathAssistance Listing 64.110	$10.3B
28	Community Development Block Grants/State's program and Non-Entitlement Grants in HawaiiAssistance Listing 14.228	$9.9B
29	Federal Transit Formula GrantsAssistance Listing 20.507	$9.8B
30	Emergency Commodity Assistance ProgramAssistance Listing 10.121	$9.3B
31	Airport Improvement Program, Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act Programs, and COVID-19 Airports ProgramsAssistance Listing 20.106	$8.9B
32	Flood InsuranceAssistance Listing 97.022	$8.7B
33	Child Care and Development Block GrantAssistance Listing 93.575	$8.6B
34	USAID Foreign Assistance for Programs OverseasAssistance Listing 98.001	$8.2B
35	Affordable Rural CooperativeAssistance Listing 10.758	$7.6B
36	WIC Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children Assistance Listing 10.557	$7.5B
37	National Railroad Passenger Corporation GrantsAssistance Listing 20.315	$6.7B
38	State Administrative Matching Grants for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance ProgramAssistance Listing 10.561	$6.7B
39	Pension Plan Termination InsuranceAssistance Listing 86.001	$6.3B
40	Clean Energy DemonstrationsAssistance Listing 81.255	$6.2B
41	Drinking Water State Revolving FundAssistance Listing 66.468	$6B
42	State Energy ProgramAssistance Listing 81.041	$5.9B
43	Supplemental Disaster Relief ProgramAssistance Listing 10.988	$5.7B
44	Public Housing Operating FundAssistance Listing 14.850	$5.3B
45	Health Center ProgramAssistance Listing 93.224	$5.3B
46	Grid Infrastructure Deployment and ResilienceAssistance Listing 81.254	$4.8B
47	Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chain Demonstrations and Commercial ApplicationsAssistance Listing 81.253	$4.7B
48	Clean Water State Revolving FundAssistance Listing 66.458	$4.6B
49	Climate Pollution Reduction GrantsAssistance Listing 66.046	$4.6B
50	Child Support ServicesAssistance Listing 93.563	$4.6B
51	State of Good Repair Grants ProgramAssistance Listing 20.525	$4.4B
52	Allergy and Infectious Diseases ResearchAssistance Listing 93.855	$4.2B
53	Low-Income Home Energy AssistanceAssistance Listing 93.568	$4.1B
54	Foster Care Title IV-EAssistance Listing 93.658	$4B
55	Federal Transit Capital Investment GrantsAssistance Listing 20.500	$4B
56	Rehabilitation Services Vocational Rehabilitation Grants to StatesAssistance Listing 84.126	$3.9B
57	Aging ResearchAssistance Listing 93.866	$3.9B
58	Tribal Self-Governance Program: IHS Compacts/Funding Agreements Assistance Listing 93.210	$3.8B
59	Continuum of Care Program Assistance Listing 14.267	$3.4B
60	Federal Disaster Assistance to Individuals and Households in Presidential Declared Disaster AreasAssistance Listing 97.048	$3.4B
61	Public Housing Capital FundAssistance Listing 14.872	$3.2B
62	Cardiovascular Diseases ResearchAssistance Listing 93.837	$3.1B
63	Adoption AssistanceAssistance Listing 93.659	$3.1B
64	Biomedical Research and Research TrainingAssistance Listing 93.859	$3B
65	Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Projects of Regional and National SignificanceAssistance Listing 93.243	$3B
66	Clean Ports ProgramAssistance Listing 66.051	$2.9B
67	Nutrition Assistance For Puerto RicoAssistance Listing 10.566	$2.9B
68	Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer Program for ChildrenAssistance Listing 10.646	$2.9B
69	Unemployment InsuranceAssistance Listing 17.225	$2.7B
70	Supply Chain Reimbursement ProgramAssistance Listing 32.010	$2.7B
71	Refugee and Entrant Assistance State/Replacement Designee Administered ProgramsAssistance Listing 93.566	$2.6B
72	Survivors and Dependents Educational AssistanceAssistance Listing 64.117	$2.5B
73	National Guard Military Operations and Maintenance (O&M) ProjectsAssistance Listing 12.401	$2.4B
74	Buses and Bus Facilities Formula, Competitive, and Low or No Emissions ProgramsAssistance Listing 20.526	$2.3B
75	Child Care Mandatory and Matching Funds of the Child Care and Development FundAssistance Listing 93.596	$2.2B
76	Supporting Effective Instruction State Grants (formerly Improving Teacher Quality State Grants)Assistance Listing 84.367	$2.2B
77	Diabetes, Digestive, and Kidney Diseases Extramural ResearchAssistance Listing 93.847	$2B
78	Veterans State Nursing Home CareAssistance Listing 64.015	$2B
79	Community Development Block Grants/Entitlement GrantsAssistance Listing 14.218	$2B
80	Weatherization Assistance for Low-Income PersonsAssistance Listing 81.042	$1.9B
81	ChampvaAssistance Listing 64.039	$1.9B
82	UNIVERSAL SERVICE FUND - SCHOOLS and LIBRARIESAssistance Listing 32.004	$1.9B
83	Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological DisordersAssistance Listing 93.853	$1.8B
84	Mental Health Research GrantsAssistance Listing 93.242	$1.8B
85	Pension for Non-Service-Connected Disability for VeteransAssistance Listing 64.104	$1.8B
86	Block Grants for Prevention and Treatment of Substance AbuseAssistance Listing 93.959	$1.7B
87	Mathematical and Physical SciencesAssistance Listing 47.049	$1.7B
88	Rural Rental Assistance PaymentsAssistance Listing 10.427	$1.6B
89	Contributions to International Organizations for Overseas AssistanceAssistance Listing 19.515	$1.6B
90	Social Services Block GrantAssistance Listing 93.667	$1.6B
91	Impact AidAssistance Listing 84.041	$1.6B
92	Drug Use and Addiction Research ProgramsAssistance Listing 93.279	$1.5B
93	Environmental and Climate Justice Community Change Grants ProgramAssistance Listing 66.616	$1.5B
94	Environmental Quality Incentives ProgramAssistance Listing 10.912	$1.5B
95	STEM Education (formerly Education and Human Resources)Assistance Listing 47.076	$1.4B
96	Trans-NIH Research SupportAssistance Listing 93.310	$1.4B
97	Office of Science Financial Assistance ProgramAssistance Listing 81.049	$1.4B
98	Career and Technical Education -- Basic Grants to StatesAssistance Listing 84.048	$1.4B
99	Nationally Significant Freight and Highway ProjectsAssistance Listing 20.934	$1.4B
100	Federal Loan Guarantees for Innovative Energy TechnologiesAssistance Listing 81.126	$1.4B

A program's obligations are usually routed through state agencies or institutions, which appear as the recipients of record. The program page shows both ends.

Questions

What is the biggest federal assistance program in FY2025?: Social Security Retirement Insurance, obligating $1.3T in FY2025.
What is a CFDA number?: The identifier from the federal Assistance Listings catalogue (formerly the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance). Every grant, loan and direct-payment program has one, which is how the same program can be tracked across agencies and years.
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 FY2025 obligations recorded against that assistance program. TheFiscalFinder does the ranking; the underlying figures are the government's own.
How many programs are shown?: The top 100 for FY2025. Each row opens that program'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 FY2025, computed from public records. It is not an allegation about anyone on it.

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Why the labels? The graph is only worth anything if the links are trusted. Facts taken straight from a federal filing are Source; figures we calculate are Computed; links we infer (corporate parents, districts, similar contractors, connections between records) are Inferred, worded carefully, never asserted as fact and never a claim that one thing caused another. Spot an error? Tell us.