The Black Budget

$52.6 billion
The Black Budget
Covert action. Surveillance. Counterintelligence. The U.S. “black budget” spans over a dozen agencies that make up the National Intelligence Program.

Funding the intelligence program
The CIA, NSA and National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) receive more than 68 percent of the black budget. The National Geospatial-Intelligence Program’s (NGP) budget has grown over 100 percent since 2004.

CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
$14.7 billion
NATIONAL SECURITY AGENCY
$10.8 billion
NATIONAL RECONNAISSANCE OFFICE
$10.3 billion
NATIONAL GEOSPATIAL-INTELLIGENCE PROGRAM
$4.9 billion
GENERAL DEFENSE INTELLIGENCE PROGRAM
$4.4 billion
JUSTICE DEPARTMENT
$3.0 billion

The top five agencies, by spending

Central Intelligence Agency
Collect, analyze, evaluate, disseminate foreign intelligence and conduct covert operations.

National Security Agency
Protect the government’s information systems and intercept foreign signals intelligence information.

National Reconnaissance Office
Design, build, and operate the nation’s signals and imagery reconnaissance satellites.

National Geospatial-Intelligence Program
Generate and provide imagery and map-based intelligence, which is used for national security, U.S. military operations, navigation and humanitarian aid efforts.

General Defense Intelligence Program
Provide assessments of foreign military intentions and capabilities to policymakers and military commanders. Conduct human and technical intelligence collection, document and media management.

Four main spending categories
Top secret spending can be divided into four main categories: data collection, data processing and exploitation, data analysis and management, facilities and support. The CIA and NRO are heavy on data collection while the NSA and NGP focus on data processing and exploitation as well as auxiliary functions like management, facilities and support.

CIA
NSA
NRO
NGP
GDIP
DOJ
DATA COLLECTION EXPENSES
DATA ANALYSIS
MANAGEMENT, FACILITIES AND SUPPORT
DATA PROCESSING AND EXPLOITATION

Funding five mission objectives

$20.1 billion
Warning U.S. leaders about critical events
Warn policymakers, military and civilian authorities of threats, such as economic instability, state failure, societal unrest and emergence of regional powers.

$17.2
Combating terrorism
Monitor and disrupt violent extremists and suspected terrorist groups that plot to inflict harm to the U.S., its interests and allies.

$6.7
Stopping spread of illicit weapons
Prevent the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

$4.3
Conducting cyber operations
Prevent cyber intrusions and proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

$3.8
Defending against foreign espionage
Detect attempts by adversaries to penetrate U.S. government.