The most rigorous measurement comes from analysis (2009–2021). In 2021, U.S. federal agencies invested ~$407 million in OSS development. Code.gov -This is OSS broadly, not Linux-specific.

A 2026 UN/UNESCO/Software Heritage report shows:

• 288,411 public repositories with at least one government contributor
• 92,831 distinct government contributors across 193 countries

-Demonstrating widespread global investment.

Linux-specific cost cannot be isolated because it's developed by corporations (Red Hat, Intel, Google, Meta, AMD), volunteers, universities (subsidized), and Nonprofits like Linux Foundation (tax avoidance).

Government contributions aren't tracked by project, and are often indirect (unaccounted for), such as with funding research labs that contribute patches.)

The U.S. federal government spends over $100 billion/year on IT contracts. About $12 billion/year is software licensing & development (includes proprietary).