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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
World
Nick Ferris

Global aid plummets – as Germany overtakes US to become biggest donor

The new data from the OECD reflects the impact of Donald Trump closing down USAID. Pictured is a Burundian government weighing a sack of rice from the final batches delivered by the now-dismantled government agency last year - (AFP/Getty)

Overseas aid from wealthy countries plummeted by 23 per cent in 2025 compared to 2024, with Germany overtaking the US to become the world’s biggest aid donor for the first time, new figures show.

The data, published by the Paris-based Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), confirms the devastating impact of the closure of the US Agency for International Development (USAID), which previous studies have indicated will contribute to tens of millions of deaths.

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