Global development aid was cut by 25% in 2025 compared to 2024.

Omissions

• The actual OECD figure for the 2025 decline is 23.1% in real terms, not 25%; the claim rounds the reduction upward by roughly 1.9 percentage points (about 8% in relative terms).
• The 23.1% refers specifically to ODA from the OECD's Development Assistance Committee (DAC) member and associate countries, which is the standard proxy for 'global development aid' but does not capture aid from non-DAC providers (e.g. China).
• The decline was driven largely by a collapse in US aid (dismantling of USAID); DAC countries' bilateral ODA to Ukraine also fell sharply (-38.2% in 2025), so the aggregate figure is heavily influenced by a small number of donors.
• The data period (calendar year 2025) is correct and the OECD preliminary release (April 2026) was available before the 17 September 2026 session date, so the MEP could have cited the more precise 23.1% figure.

Sources

• PrimaryOECD — A historic decline in foreign aid: Preliminary 2025 ODA dataOfficial development assistance dropped by 23.1% in 2025, the largest-ever annual contraction.
• PrimaryOECD — International aid fell sharply in 2025, says OECD (press release)International aid from member countries and associates of the Development Assistance Committee (DAC) fell in 2025 by 23.1% in real terms... ODA by DAC member and associate countries amounted to USD 174.3 billion in 2025, representing 0.26% of these countries' combined gross national income.
• PrimaryOECD — Official development assistance (ODA) topic pageODA from DAC member countries amounted to USD 174.3 billion in 2025, a 23.1% decrease over 2024. It is the largest annual contraction on record.
• SecondaryFocus 2030 — Historic drop in Official Development Assistance in 2025ODA from DAC members fell to USD 174.3 billion in 2025, a decrease of 23.1% compared with 2024 (-USD 50 billion in real terms).