India highest recipient of US economic assistance: USAID

The US provided $65.1 billion as economic assistance to India between 1946 and 2012, according to the US Agency for International Development (USAID) statistics.

It was the highest among the economic assistance provided to 200 countries and regions by the US during the period.

The data, which was inflation adjusted, shows India received $65.1 billion in economic assistance, followed closely by Israel, which got $65 billion.

Pakistan, which received a total of $44.4 billion from the US, was among the top five countries of the total 200 nations and regions getting the economic assistance.

Indian economic aid was spread over various sectors and programmes, including child survival and health, development assistance, HIV/AIDS initiatives, migration and refugee assistance, food aid and narcotics control. Some $26 billion of the total aid was provided for various USAID programmes.

In comparison, of the total economic assistance provided to Pakistan, $13.8 billion was given for USAID programmes, while $13.7 billion was attributed to the Economic Support Fund and Security Support Assistance.

USAID is the lead US government agency that works to end extreme global poverty and enable resilient, democratic societies to realise their potential.