REACTION: Oxfam response to OECD global aid statistics for 2024

“Today’s figures lay bare an ugly truth: even before the recent devastating cuts to aid, rich countries had already begun to renege on their moral obligations to communities around the world facing increasing conflict, poverty and climate disasters. Not only reducing crucial aid budgets, but also spending a growing share of it at home to cover refugee costs.

“Cuts to aid cost lives - more children will go to bed hungry, more people will die from diseases we’ve long known how to prevent, and millions more will be pushed even deeper into poverty.

"Governments including the UK must urgently reverse these deadly cuts and start taxing the super-rich, whose wealth has been allowed to grow unchecked. Recklessly cutting life-saving aid instead of taxing extreme wealth is a political choice and in an interconnected world, will drive us all towards greater harm."

Ends

Notes to editors

The OECD’s preliminary data shows that official development assistance (ODA) totalled $212 billion in 2024, a significant drop from $223 billion in 2023. Last year’s ODA fell $237 billion short of meeting the longstanding commitment of allocating 0.7 percent of gross national income (GNI) to aid for low- and middle-income countries. Oxfam has calculated that in the 54 years since this promise was made, rich countries have failed to deliver a total of $7.5 trillion in aid.

According to Forbes’ 39th Annual World’s Billionaire List published on 1 April, billionaires are worth a record $16.1 trillion, $2 trillion more than in 2024.