Global public aid declines as Sweden reduces development assistance

Global public aid decreased by 25 percent in 2025, a reduction of approximately 40 billion USD according to OECD/DAC data. This decline is driven by nationalism and geopolitical conflicts, with significant cuts coming from the United States, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands.

In Sweden, aid has dropped to 0.74 percent of GNI, moving away from the previous 1 percent target. Experts from ForumCiv and Samfora suggest that philanthropic capital, which accounts for about 17 billion dollars globally, should increase its focus on advocacy work to fill gaps left by shrinking public budgets.

Domestically, Swedish Socialstyrelsen statistics show that 247,000 people received financial assistance in 2025, totaling over 11.2 billion SEK. Among adult recipients, approximately 57 percent were foreign-born. Local political groups, such as Östgötapartiet in Norrköping, have highlighted these figures to call for scrutiny regarding the distribution of municipal welfare resources.