Changes to the UK’s aid budget in the Spending Review

The Chancellor of the Exchequer has today announced, as part of the Spending Review, a temporary reduction in the UK’s aid budget from 0.7% to 0.5% of our national income.

The seismic impact of the pandemic on the UK economy has forced the government to take tough but necessary decisions, including this temporary reduction in the overall amount we spend on aid. We will return to 0.7% when the fiscal situation allows.

The UK government remains a world leading aid donor spending 0.5% of our national income. We will spend more than £10 billion next year to fight poverty, tackle climate change and improve global health.

We will do aid better across government, even if the budget is smaller, to deliver maximum impact for every pound we spend.

We will combine aid with diplomacy, focusing our efforts where the UK can make a world-leading difference ensuring the UK is a force for good across the globe.

Tomorrow in a statement to the House of Commons, the Foreign Secretary will set out how we will overhaul UK aid to deliver even greater impact.