USAspending — Free US Federal Spending Data API (No Key)

TL;DR

USAspending.gov is the US government's official source for federal spending data, tracking trillions of dollars in contracts, grants, loans, and direct payments. The API provides access to agency budgets, award recipients, geographic spending breakdowns, and financial assistance data. All data is sourced from the Treasury and federal agency financial systems. The REST API returns JSON and is completely open — no API key, no rate limits documented. Essential for transparency research, journalism, and civic tech applications.

Quick start: https://api.usaspending.gov/api/v2/references/toptier_agencies/

No API key needed — just make a request!

How to Use This API

1. List All Top-Tier Agencies

https://api.usaspending.gov/api/v2/references/toptier_agencies/

2. Get Agency Spending

https://api.usaspending.gov/api/v2/agency/012/

3. Search Awards

https://api.usaspending.gov/api/v2/search/spending_by_category/?filters={%22time_period%22:[{%22start_date%22:%222022-01-01%22,%22end_date%22:%222022-12-31%22}]}

4. JavaScript — Browse Agencies

fetch('https://api.usaspending.gov/api/v2/references/toptier_agencies/')
  .then(r => r.json())
  .then(data => {
    data.results.forEach(agency => {
      console.log(`${agency.agency_name}: $${agency.current_total_budget_authority_amount.toLocaleString()}`);
    });
  });

5. Python — Agency Budget Comparison

import requests

data = requests.get(
    'https://api.usaspending.gov/api/v2/references/toptier_agencies/'
).json()

for agency in sorted(data['results'],
                     key=lambda a: a['current_total_budget_authority_amount'],
                     reverse=True)[:10]:
    budget = agency['current_total_budget_authority_amount'] / 1e12
    print(f"{agency['abbreviation']:10s}: ${budget:.2f}T")

Browse top agencies: https://api.usaspending.gov/api/v2/references/toptier_agencies/

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Frequently Asked Questions

What spending categories does USAspending cover?: The platform tracks contracts (procurement), grants, loans, direct payments, insurance, and other financial assistance. Data goes back to fiscal year 2000.
How is the data organized?: Data is organized by agency (top-tier and sub-tier), award type, CFDA program, NAICS industry code, product/service code, geographic location (state/county/district), and fiscal year.
Can I get spending by state or congressional district?: Yes, use the /api/v2/agency/{code}/ endpoint with geographic filters, or query /api/v2/search/spending_by_geography/ for location-based spending.
What format does the API use?: All endpoints return JSON. The API uses POST for complex search queries (with filter objects) and GET for simpler reference data lookups.
How current is the data?: Data is typically updated monthly from federal financial systems. There is a lag of approximately 30-60 days for complete reporting.
Is there documentation for all endpoints?: Yes, complete API documentation is available at https://api.usaspending.gov/docs/ with endpoint descriptions, parameters, and example responses.

API Details

API URL: https://api.usaspending.gov/api/v2
Documentation: api.usaspending.gov
Category: Government
Authentication: Not Required
Geographic Coverage: United States (USA) — federal spending data

What You Can Build

Government spending transparency dashboard by agency and year
Congressional district funding analyzer showing where tax dollars go
Federal contract opportunity aggregator for small businesses
Grant funding tracker filtered by state and program type
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