Which countries cut foreign aid the most in 2025, and who is now leading the way?

By Marta Iraola Iribarren Published on 26/05/2026 - 16:53 GMT+2 Share Comments Share Facebook Twitter Flipboard Send Reddit Linkedin Messenger Telegram VK Bluesky Threads Whatsapp

Countries around the world are cutting humanitarian aid budgets, reshaping the global response to public health emergencies and crises.

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is at the centre of a major Ebola outbreak that, according to the latest data from the World Health Organization (WHO), has so far caused 220 suspected deaths and more than 900 suspected cases.

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The outbreak, declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern by the WHO on 16 May, is challenging the country’s health response, weakened by international aid cuts and armed conflicts in the region.

“This outbreak is hitting a country already stretched to breaking point,” said Dr. Manenji Mangundu, Oxfam Country Director in the DRC.

“Ongoing conflict and years of aid cuts have deepened a humanitarian crisis of staggering scale: one in four people are going hungry. Those same aid cuts left DRC effectively exposed to Ebola, weakening the surveillance systems that should have detected this outbreak weeks earlier.”

The International Rescue Committee warned that funding cuts have left the region “dangerously” exposed.

“Years of underinvestment and recent funding cuts have left many health facilities without adequate protective equipment, surveillance capacity, or frontline support needed to respond quickly and safely,” said Heather Reoch Kerr, IRC’s Country Director for DRC.

She added that certain activities that were previously supported by donor funding, including the provision of personal protective equipment (PPE) kits to health facilities, have been significantly reduced, and many facilities in affected areas are operating without basic protective supplies.

According to the United Nations, 239 million people need urgent humanitarian assistance in 2026, following a 2025 marked by severe cuts to humanitarian operations and a record number of deadly attacks against aid workers.

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Who has cut humanitarian funding?

International aid has increased steadily over the last 50 years, reaching record levels in 2023. However, as need has also grown, foreign aid cuts are now affecting multiple countries and health organisations worldwide.

In 2023, Official Development Assistance (ODA) from the 33 member countries of the OECD’s Development Assistance Committee (DAC) amounted to $229 billion (€197 billion)

By 2024, this amount fell to $215 billion (€185 billion) – the first drop after five years of growth – and further to $165 billion (€142 billion) in 2025.

Who are the biggest donors?

Humanitarian aid, while amounting to billions of euros a year, is concentrated in a handful of major donors.

Germany, the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan, and France are the largest donors by volume, while a small group of northern European countries continues to give the highest shares of national income.

In 2025, these five countries accounted for 95.7% of the total decline in ODA, according to the OECD. The US alone accounted for three-quarters of the decline, with its assistance falling by 56.9% compared to 2024 – the largest reduction in volume by any provider in any year on record.

Even after these cuts, the same five donors continued to dominate funding in 2025, collectively accounting for the vast majority of total aid flows. However, their reduced budgets significantly lowered the overall resources available to low‑ and middle‑income countries.

In terms of Gross National Income (GNI), Norway, Luxembourg, Sweden, Denmark, and the Netherlands contribute the highest shares.

Beyond individual countries, the European Union and its member states also contribute through specific mechanisms.

Combined, the EU and its 27 member states are the world's leading donors of humanitarian aid, accounting for 40% global humanitarian assistance in 2025.

The EU's long-term budget for 2021-2027 includes a dedicated line for humanitarian aid, with a total of €11.57 billion allocated for the seven years, around €1.65 billion per year.

The budget for 2028-2034 is currently being negotiated.

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