The Peace Corps
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https://crsreports.congress.gov
January 14, 2025
The Peace Corps
The Peace Corps is an independent agency that sends American volunteers to serve at the grassroots level in developing countries in order to advance three goals:
• promote world peace and friendship by improving the
lives of the communities where volunteers serve,
•
help others understand American culture, and •
share volunteers’' experiences with Americans at home.
President John F. Kennedy proposed the Peace Corps as part of his broader initiative to promote a broader national service initiative—a proposal Congress endorsed in enactingenacted with the Peace Corps Act of 1961 (P.L. 87-293, as amended). More than 240245,000 volunteers have served in 144 countries since the agency’s foundingto date. (Unless noted, data are as of September 20242025. For further information, including underlying sources, see CRS Report RS21168, The Peace Corps: Overview and Issues.)
Ways to Serve
Most volunteers (96%) serve in the traditional 27-month program, which comprises three months of language and technical training followed by two years of service embedded in a host community. Volunteers work in a partner institution, such as a nonprofit organization, a municipal program, or a school, with a designated counterpart—a community member who is the volunteer’'s conduit to the local community. Host communities are typically remote; 8279% of volunteers serve in a rural town, village, or outer island, generally placing Peace Corps volunteers at the farthest reachreaches of U.S. foreign assistance.
The Peace Corps has two other volunteering models. A small share (4%) serveserves in Peace Corps Response, a more flexible, short-term program for professionals with specialized skills and some work experience. Since 2020, the Peace Corps has also provided remote volunteers through an ongoing Virtual Service Pilot, which has facilitated 831 engagements across 48 countries through February 20241,301 engagements, including in countries where the Peace Corps historically had large programs but no longer can due to safety issues (e.g., Ukraine and Ethiopia).
Geography and Sectors
The Peace Corps currently operates in 6160 countries (Figure 1) and plans to expand to 65 countries in FY2025, with one new country (Palau) expected to accept volunteers in 2026. The largest region by number of volunteers is the Inter-America and Pacific region, which comprises the Americas and the Pacific Islands. This is a change from years before the COVID-19 pandemic, whena recent change. Historically, sub-Saharan Africa has hosted the most volunteers. Sub-Saharan Africa continues to have the most country programs (35) and the largest budget.
Volunteers serve across six sectors: agriculture, community economic development, education, environment, health,
and youth in development. Education is and has been the largest sector (39% of volunteer assignments) for decades.
Figure 1. Peace Corps Volunteer Distribution, 2024
Source: Peace Corps, Agency Financial Report, Note: Includes two-year and Response volunteers and trainees.FY2024. NotesFY2025.
The Volunteers
Volunteers come from every state. According to surveys, they are motivated by personal growth, cultural exposure, and a wish to help others. In 2025: Includes two-year and Peace Corps Response volunteers.
Who the Volunteers Are
Volunteers come from every state, motivated (according to annual volunteer surveys) by travel, cultural exposure, personal growth, and a wish to help others. In 2023, around 80% of volunteers were under age 30 (Figure 2), and 98more than 95% held a college degree. Ethnic and racial minority identification has grown steadily, from 15% of the volunteer force in 2001 to 34% in 2023The non-white share of the volunteer force grew from 15% in 2001 to about 27% in 2025. The share of female volunteers, 56% in 2023 in 2025, about 56%, is below the 63% average in the decade before the COVID-19 pandemic. About three- quartersfrom 2010 to 2020. About four-fifths of volunteers would recommend the Peace Corps to others.
Figure 2. Volunteer Force: Select Demographics, 2023
Source: Peace Corps, FY2025 Congressional Budget Justification. Notes: AAPI: Asian American and Pacific Islander; NA: no race chosen. The Peace Corps tracks Hispanic identity (15% of volunteers) separately from race.
The Peace Corps
https://crsreports.congress.gov
Budget and Volunteer Force Trends
The Peace Corps’ annual regular funding remained at approximately $410 million from 2015 to 2022 (Table 1). Congress rescinded supplemental funds in FY2021 and FY2022 that were previously appropriated to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Biden Administration requested $479 million for FY2025, with the increase directed toward expanding Peace Corps programs overseas, particularly in the Pacific Islands; paying for higher costs; and improving recruitment. In the 118th Congress, a Senate-proposed measure (S. 4797) would have matched the Administration’s request, whereas a House-passed version (H.R. 8771) would have returned the agency to FY2022 levels. Final FY2025 funding has not been enacted.
Table 1. Peace Corps Funding (in millions U.S. $)
Fiscal Year FY2021 FY2022 FY2023 FY2024 FY2025
Request 401.2 410.5 430.5 495.0 479.0
Enacted 410.5 410.5 430.5 430.5 N.A.
Rescissions -$30 $-70 — — N.A.
Source: Budget requests and public laws. Notes: Rescissions generally apply to prior-year appropriations. N.A.: not enacted.
Peace Corps volunteer levels have not fully recovered since volunteers were evacuated from their posts in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In September 2024, there were 3,337 Peace Corps volunteers, about 1,000 more than in 2023 but half of pre-pandemic levels. The Peace Corps’ geographic footprint is back to pre-pandemic levels, but the agency is filling 45% of volunteer slots, down from 94% in 2019. Prior to the pandemic, volunteer levels had stabilized at around 7,000 from 2013 to the 2020, down from an all- time peak of 9,000 in 2011. The Peace Corps has never met a statutory goal, set in 1985, of 10,000 volunteers.
Recent Developments
The agency’s FY2022-FY2026 strategic plan sets three strategic objectives: (1) return volunteers to service and expand service models; (2) build a workforce and volunteer force reflective of U.S. and host country diversity; and (3) meet health, safety, and service commitments to host countries, volunteers, and staff. In its FY2023 performance report, the agency reported having met most of its targets.
A Peace Corps reauthorization measure has been introduced in each of the past three Congresses, with the 118th Congress seeing a Senate bill (S. 1203) reported out of committee and no action taken on a House companion (H.R. 1273). S. 1203 would have authorized funding at $410.5 million for FY2024-FY2028. H.R. 1273 omitted an authorization of specific funding levels. Both bills would have, among other provisions, increased volunteer readjustment allowances, protected volunteer whistleblowers, and restructured a long-defunct Peace Corps National Advisory Council. They would also have set several priorities, including expanding programs in Oceania, improving pre- and post-service health care, coordinating security with the State Department, and
revisiting malaria medication options. The bills also would have extended some health and safety reforms, including for sexual assault, enacted in 2011 (P.L. 112-57) and 2018 (P.L. 115-256).
Selected Issues
As the 119th Congress weighs Peace Corps funding, reauthorization, oversight, and nominees, the topics below may be areas of focus.
Role of the Peace Corps. The Peace Corps’ three goals are unchanged since the agency’s founding. Some Members have reflected on how the Peace Corps advances its mission and whether the mission fits a changed world. Some Members have raised concerns that sending recent college graduates with little work experience to poor countries reflects Western paternalism. The Peace Corps determined in 2011 that “energetic, well-rounded generalists” are well- suited to the agency’s goals, noting strong demand for volunteers from host countries. Some Members applauded closure of the Peace Corps program in China, but others argued that the program facilitated mutual cultural understanding during a time of high diplomatic tensions. Proposed Pacific Islands expansion may hinge on Members’ views on growing U.S. and Chinese diplomatic interests there.
Volunteer numbers. The agency contends that a more competitive job market and a decline in U.S. volunteerism have contributed to lower volunteer levels. In an effort to return the volunteer force to pre-pandemic levels, the Peace Corps is piloting three new models to attract applicants: a 15-month service term, a 15-day leave period at mid- service, and a larger readjustment allowance. Members may reexamine the 10,000-volunteer goal in light of low unemployment, assess elevated recruitment expenses given structural recruiting constraints, and weigh in on a purported U.S. trend against volunteerism. Such deliberations may include findings of a 2019 report on public service commissioned by Congress.
Volunteer Force Diversity. The Peace Corps has steadily grown the share of minority-identifying volunteers and promoted greater sensitivity to diversity issues. Host sites’ cultural norms, including bias against racial, religious, or gender groups, may affect those efforts. Members may assess the Peace Corps’ work in this area, complications from host country norms, and whether to prioritize other diversity factors, such as economic or regional background.
Safety and Security. The Peace Corps has faced criticism over its handling of sexual abuse complaints, volunteer health care, and volunteer deaths, prompting congressional attention and reform legislation. Recent watchdog reports indicate the Peace Corps has implemented reforms effectively and that most volunteers feel safe, but one in three volunteers in 2019 reportedly experienced sexual assault during service, double the rate in 2015. Volunteers’ medical care and physical safety are a persistent challenge considering the agency’s operating environment.
Nick M. Brown, Analyst in Foreign Assistance
IF12873
The Peace Corps
https://crsreports.congress.gov | IF12873 · VERSION 1 · NEW
Disclaimer
This document was prepared by the Congressional Research Service (CRS). CRS serves as nonpartisan shared staff to congressional committees and Members of Congress. It operates solely at the behest of and under the direction of Congress. Information in a CRS Report should not be relied upon for purposes other than public understanding of information that has been provided by CRS to Members of Congress in connection with CRS’s institutional role. CRS Reports, as a work of the United States Government, are not subject to copyright protection in the United States. Any CRS Report may be reproduced and distributed in its entirety without permission from CRS. However, as a CRS Report may include copyrighted images or material from a third party, you may need to obtain the permission of the copyright holder if you wish to copy or otherwise use copyrighted material.
Source: Annual Volunteer Survey, 2025.
Notes: Reflects volunteer reporting, not actual volunteer data. Figures within 3% of actual values, but the Peace Corps stopped reporting demographic data in its annual reports in 2025.
Budget and Volunteer Force Trends
The Peace Corps' annual appropriation were typically around $410 million from 2015 to 2022, rose to $430.5 million for each year from FY2023 to FY2025, and returned to $410.5 million in FY2026 (Table 1). The FY2026 appropriation represents a 22.5% cut in inflation-adjusted terms since FY2015. The Biden Administration proposed a funding increase in its final two Peace Corps budget requests to expand to new countries, cover inflation-fueled cost increases, and improve recruitment. The second Trump Administration's first two requests proposed maintaining the Peace Corps' budget at $430.5 million. Congress enacted a $20 million cut in FY2026, and a House-reported measure would maintain that level of $410.5 million for FY2027. The Senate has not acted on FY2027 appropriations for the Peace Corps. Table 1. Peace Corps Funding and Volunteer Levels, by Fiscal Year(funding in millions, U.S.$)
2023
2024
2025
2026
2027
Request
430.5
495.0
479.0
430.5
430.5
Enacted
430.5
430.5
430.5
410.5
—
Volunteer forecast
3,900
5,180
4,590
4,140
4,000
Volunteer actuals
2,290
3,620
3,322
—
—
Source: Budget requests and public laws.
Notes: Includes Inspector General. Volunteer numbers are those funded with the Peace Corps appropriation. FY2027 not yet enacted.
The volunteer force shrank in FY2025 to 3,322, about half of prepandemic levels and less than half of the 2011 peak of around 9,000. The Peace Corps has as many country programs as prepandemic but has been unable to fill all volunteer slots. Most staff have said recruitment shortfalls damaged relationships with community partners. The Trump Administration announced a goal to reach 8,000 volunteers by 2030. The Peace Corps has never met a statutory goal, set in 1985, of 10,000 volunteers.
Recent Developments
Under the second Trump Administration, the Peace Corps has undertaken a reorganization, cut 40% of its U.S. staff, and reshuffled its senior management. The agency also halted its FY2022-FY2026 strategic plan and issued an interim performance plan for FY2026, which sets three strategic objectives: (1) align the agency's global portfolio, (2) optimize staffing to save costs, and (3) bolster volunteer opportunities. Peace Corps is working on a new five-year strategic plan. President Trump nominated Riley Barnes, an Assistant Secretary of State, to be Director of the Peace Corps in April 2026.
In addition to organizational and strategic changes, the Peace Corps has announced several programmatic developments. It plans to implement an executive order (E.O. 14204) directing no further aid to South Africa by phasing out its program there. In February 2026, the Peace Corps announced a Tech Prosperity Corps, a new cohort to support deployment of "American artificial intelligence" (AI) in Peace Corps countries participating in the American AI Exports Program.
Selected Issues
No Member has introduced a Peace Corps reauthorization measure in the 119th Congress, unlike in the prior three Congresses. Members continue to engage with the agency through oversight, annual appropriations, and consideration of Trump Administration nominees. The following topics may be among the areas of focus in those interactions.
Role of the Peace Corps. The Peace Corps' three goals have not changed since the agency's founding. Some Members have raised concerns that sending inexperienced young people to poor countries reflects Western paternalism, but the Peace Corps in 2011 found that "energetic, well-rounded generalists" are good representatives of the United States. Members may consider these goals anew, as well as assess how recent Peace Corps programmatic changes align with the agency's cultural exchange mandate and the skills of its largely generalist volunteers.
Agency Independence. Independence from foreign policy strategy is a long-standing feature of the Peace Corps. Dean Rusk, Secretary of State at the agency's founding, argued that making the Peace Corps a foreign policy instrument "would rob it of its contribution to foreign policy" by diminishing the agency's capacity to foster goodwill between volunteers and their host communities. State Department policy mandates its operational separation from the Peace Corps in a way that is "not comparable to those of other U.S. government agencies."
Certain events under the second Trump Administration may lead Members to question the status of that separation. The current Acting Director, Christopher Landau, is also serving as Deputy Secretary of State, and it is unclear if Assistant Secretary Barnes would step down from his current role if confirmed. The agency's interim performance plan is oriented on advancing an "America First" foreign policy, and the Tech Prosperity Corps focuses on the export of U.S. products, not necessarily partner country development. Members may assess whether these moves integrate the Peace Corps with foreign policy priorities, including weighing measures to formalize its foreign policy alignment (e.g., H.R. 5233) or to clarify its independence.
Volunteer Numbers. The Peace Corps has sought to attract more volunteers, including by offering better benefits and greater service flexibility. Members may reexamine the 10,000-volunteer goal, assess recruitment strategy, and weigh in on a purported U.S. trend against volunteerism.
Sexual Assault. The Peace Corps was largely found to have implemented reforms recommended by a Sexual Assault Advisory Council that dissolved in 2023, following prepandemic reports that between a fifth and a third of volunteers experienced sexual assault. Over 90% of volunteers reported feeling safe where they live and work in 2024, similar to historical levels. Members may request updated sexual assault statistics and consider authorizing or reauthorizing defunct advisory groups on volunteer safety.