The ongoing reordering of aid priorities |
The global aid system is entering one of its deepest crises in decades. Overseas development assistance, which refers to government financial support provided by wealthier countries to promote economic development and welfare in poorer countries, has fallen at a historic pace. These reductions are not driven by falling need but by politics.
According to preliminary data from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, total overseas development assistance from major donors fell by 23.1 per cent in real terms in 2025, the largest recorded decline since systematic reporting began. The drop was highly concentrated among a small number of major donors. The United States accounted for a large share of the global reduction after sharply cutting bilateral aid and reducing contributions to multilateral institutions, including United Nations agencies. Several European donors also reduced aid simultaneously, marking one of the first coordinated contractions in decades.
These cuts are........