£1 out of every £8 of foreign aid is from UK

‘We should be proud’

BRITAIN provided £1 in every £8 of foreign aid handed out by 29 major countries last year, figures revealed yesterday.

The country was the only G7 nation to hit the controversial target of spending 0.7 per cent of national income.

The aid target – made law by David Cameron – saw UK spending increase by £487 million to £14.5 billion last year after the economy grew.

Britain revealed its aid spending figures for 2018 last week, but Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development figures yesterday showed how they compare to other nations.

The UK’s 0.7 per cent of gross national income is more than double the 0.29 per cent G7 average. None of the other nations – Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States – met the spending target. The US is the world’s largest aid donor in cash terms, but its £25.7 billion contribution is just 0.14 per cent of its national income.

The OECD figures reveal that Britain is fifth in the league table of the 29 countries that are part of its Development Assistance Committee (DAC). Sweden is on top with 1.04 per cent of its income, followed by Luxembourg on 0.98 per cent, Norway 0.94 per cent and Denmark 0.72 per cent.

In total, the 29 major donor countries gave £114.7 billion in aid, which worked out at just 0.31 per cent of national income. MPs and aid campaigners last night urged other nations to increase their giving.

Tory MP James Duddridge said: ‘Other countries need to step up – in particular the US. The 0.7 per cent target isn’t right for everyone, but more needs to be done by other nations and on this Britain is leading the way. We should be proud of what we do around the world.’

Sara Harcourt of the ONE Campaign said: ‘The fall in global aid is alarming. Now is the time we should be stepping up, not walking away.’

Oxfam’s Toni Pearce said: ‘Vulnerable people across the world rely on this essential lifeline when disaster hits. Britain continues to lead the way in helping developing countries face global challenges.’

A Government spokesman said last night: ‘The aid budget is helping to tackle threats to the UK such as terrorism, organised crime and disease, as well as eradicating extreme poverty. It is working in the UK national interest.’