US and major donors slash international aid by 23% in 2025, study shows FAST-MOVING
A study by the Brics Policy Center at PUC‑Rio finds that official development assistance from wealthy nations fell 23.1% between 2024 and 2025 – the steepest decline ever recorded. Total aid in 2025 amounted to US$174.3 billion, a real‑terms drop of US$52.4 billion.
The five largest donors – the United States, France, Germany, Japan and the United Kingdom – were responsible for 95.7% of the reduction. The United States alone cut its aid by 56.9%, accounting for 75.1% of the global decline. For the first time, all five major donors reduced contributions for two consecutive years. The report projects a further 6.9% cut in 2026, which would bring aid levels back to those of 2014. While overall aid shrank, Ukraine remains the single largest recipient of official development assistance, even after a 91% cut in U.S. funding.
Entities: France · Germany · Japan · United Kingdom · United States · United States
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 13 SOURCES] International aid from wealthy countries fell by 23.1% between 2024 and 2025. (study by Brics Policy Center)
- [● 13 SOURCES] The five largest donors – United States, France, Germany, Japan and United Kingdom – accounted for 95.7% of the total reduction. (study by Brics Policy Center)
- [● 13 SOURCES] Total official development assistance (ODA) in 2025 was US$174.3 billion. (study by Brics Policy Center)
- [● 13 SOURCES] The reduction in aid represented a real‑terms loss of US$52.4 billion. (study by Brics Policy Center)
- [● 13 SOURCES] The United States cut its aid by 56.9%, representing 75.1% of the global decline. (study by Brics Policy Center)
- [● 13 SOURCES] All five major donors reduced aid for two consecutive years, a first occurrence. (study by Brics Policy Center)
- [● 13 SOURCES] The study projects a further 6.9% cut in aid for 2026, returning levels to those of 2014. (study by Brics Policy Center)
- [● 4 SOURCES] Ukraine remains the single largest recipient of ODA, despite a 91% cut in U.S. assistance. (study by Brics Policy Center)