The United Kingdom government spent nearly twice as much of its aid budget within its own borders last year than it did directly in Africa and Asia combined, according to the provisional statistics for aid spending released by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office on Wednesday.
Bilateral aid to Africa and Asia was reduced in 2022, and just over £2 billion (about $2.5 billion) was spent across both regions. But nearly £3.7 billion, 29% of the international development budget, was spent on in-donor refugee costs to cover the needs of asylum-seekers during their first year in the U.K.
In 2020, the U.K. aid budget amounted to 0.7% of gross national income, though that was controversially reduced to a target of 0.5% in 2021. The new statistics show that in 2022, despite spending £12.8 billion, the "true" U.K. aid spend dropped to just 0.36% of national income, according to the Institute of Development Studies, a fall that institute director Melissa Leach described as “shameful.”
About the author
William Worley@willrworley
Will Worley is the Climate Correspondent for Devex, covering the intersection of development and climate change. He previously worked as UK Correspondent, reporting on the FCDO and British aid policy during a time of seismic reforms. Will’s extensive reporting on the UK aid cuts saw him shortlisted for ‘Specialist Journalist of the Year’ in 2021 by the British Journalism Awards. He can be reached at william.worley@devex.com.
