On the Brink: The State of the U.S. Diplomatic Corps in 2024

Key Chapter Title List

1. Core Summary
2. The Overall Picture
3. Erosion of Execution: Declining Capacity to Implement U.S. Foreign Policy
4. A Corps in Freefall: Morale Collapse and Talent Drain
5. Policy Priorities: Restoring Professionalism and Institutional Integrity
6. Policy Recommendations from the American Foreign Service Association
7. Conclusion
8. Survey Methodology
9. About the American Foreign Service Association

Document Introduction

This report, based on the exclusive global survey results of over 2,100 serving U.S. foreign affairs personnel conducted by the American Foreign Service Association (AFSA) in 2025, reveals that the U.S. professional diplomatic corps is facing its most severe systemic crisis since its establishment in 1924. The report indicates that America's diplomatic capacity is being weakened from within. Since January 2025, up to one-quarter of career diplomats have resigned, retired, or been dismissed, fundamentally due to systemic leadership failures, the dissolution of key agencies, drastic budget cuts, and unprecedented political pressure.

The report's structure begins with the macro context, then provides a detailed analysis of the crisis's specific manifestations, its impact on core functions, the deep internal challenges within the corps, and ultimately proposes policy recommendations aimed at restoring U.S. diplomatic strength. The survey found that 98% of respondents reported low morale, 86% believed policy changes have harmed their ability to advance diplomatic priorities, and nearly one-third have altered their career plans since early 2025. Execution has been significantly hampered in multiple ways: 78% of personnel are operating under budget cuts, 64% report key projects being delayed or suspended, 61% are burdened with excessive workloads due to staff attrition, and 46% face new obstacles in foreign negotiations. The report pays special attention to the "brain drain" phenomenon, revealing a profound shift among diplomats from viewing their work as a lifelong career to widespread consideration of early departure.

Methodologically, the value of this report lies in the scarcity and authority of its data. Against the backdrop of the termination of the U.S. Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey earlier in the same year, AFSA, as the professional association and union representing U.S. diplomats, conducted an anonymous electronic questionnaire survey from August to September 2025. It targeted 6,844 serving members stationed globally, spanning all levels from junior to senior, and achieved a high response rate of 32%. This provides an irreplaceable, first-hand data-driven internal perspective for understanding the true state of the U.S. diplomatic corps under immense institutional pressure.

The report's core policy implications directly address long-term risks to U.S. national security. The analysis shows that the dissolution of key soft power agencies such as the U.S. Agency for Global Development and the U.S. Global Media Agency, along with the largest single-day layoff in the history of the State Department, have directly weakened U.S. diplomatic capabilities in areas including global development, humanitarian relief, public diplomacy, and economic and trade promotion. Citing the example of the international response to the Myanmar earthquake in March 2025, the report contrasts the speed and scale of the U.S. and Chinese responses, arguing that the depletion of U.S. diplomatic resources is damaging its global leadership and crisis response capabilities, while China's diplomatic presence and operational capacity have become prominent in this context.

Ultimately, the report issues an urgent warning to the U.S. Congress and policymakers: a non-political, professional, and efficient career diplomatic corps is a strategic asset for the United States in confronting 21st-century great power competition, technological disruption, and various global challenges. The current "hollowing out," politicization, and erosion of the institutional foundations of this corps are not only unjust but fundamentally undermine America's ability to safeguard its global interests and security. The report calls for immediate action to restore the necessary professionalism, integrity, and effectiveness of American diplomacy through legislation protecting career diplomats from political retaliation, revitalizing congressional oversight, and collaborating with the diplomatic corps to drive modernization reforms.