UK international aid spend falls to lowest level in nearly 20 years

• The UK's international aid spending has fallen to 0.43 per cent of national income in 2025, marking its lowest level in nearly two decades and matching figures from 2008.
• Total official development assistance (ODA) for 2025 amounted to just over £13 billion, a £1 billion decrease from the previous year, with £2.4 billion allocated to supporting refugees and asylum seekers within the UK.
• The Organisation of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) warned that this projected drop in ODA, influenced by major providers like the UK, would severely impact the world's poorest countries.
• The government plans to further reduce ODA to 0.3 per cent by 2027 to fund defence spending, though Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper stated the UK would remain a "major player" by refocusing on being an "investor" rather than a "donor".
• Campaigners and aid organisations have strongly criticised the cuts, arguing they cause widespread damage, weaken the UK's global influence, and are costing lives, particularly in vulnerable communities across Africa.