The Economist published on 30 July 2026 an article titled "How Many People Are Dying as a Result of USAID's Demise?"
Elon Musk, who is responsible for dismantling the US Agency for International Development (USAID), insists it has not cost any human lives. The influential publication, Lancet, estimates that by 2030, 14 million people will die as a result of USAID's demise.
The Economist explains that the drop in US health funding has been less cataclysmic than originally predicted and that early estimates of deaths drew on trends that may no longer be valid. While the early estimates of deaths are too high, Musk's notion of zero deaths is plainly wrong. Lives have been lost.
