Key facts
- The government has announced a 40% cut to the aid budget in order to fund higher defence spending.
- Aid spending is set to fall from 0.5% to 0.3% of gross national income by 2027, its lowest level in almost thirty years.
- The government has indicated that education will no longer be a priority area for aid.
- The share of UK aid going to education has already fallen sharply over the last decade.
- Cuts will reduce access to schooling for millions of children, particularly girls and children in crisis and conflict settings.
- Investment in education, especially girls’ education, delivers large social and economic returns.
Key statistics
- UK aid spending will fall from 0.5% to 0.3% of gross national income by 2027.
- The share of UK aid going to education fell from 13.5% in 2013 to 3.5% in 2023.
- Globally, 272 million children are out of school.
- The recent UK aid cuts are estimated to mean a further 2.2 million children will miss out on education.
- For every £1 spent on girls’ education and rights there is an estimated return of £2.80.
- Just one additional year of schooling can raise a girl’s future earnings by around 20%.
Campaign asks
- Restore the aid budget to at least 0.7% of gross national income and ensure that education is a core priority within it.
- Increase the share of UK aid allocated to education to meet or exceed the international benchmark of at least fifteen per cent.
- Prioritise girls’ education, education in emergencies and education for displaced children within UK aid spending.
- Work with international partners to close the global education financing gap and support low- and middle-income countries to invest in public education.
- Engage educators and unions in shaping UK aid policy so that it supports quality teaching, decent work and strong public systems.