The UK government is set to cut funding to Commonwealth nations that previously had bilateral aid programmes from £546m in 2024-25 to £131m in 2028-29, according to an analysis of recent and projected aid figures seen by the Guardian, in contrast to this week's warm words for the grouping from King Charles and Prime Minister Andy Burnham at the Commonwealth heads of government meeting in Antigua.
Chogm, which is set to wrap up on Wednesday, heard the king say it was "only right that we should acknowledge the great suffering and injustices" of slavery, while Burnham's government fought to ensure any discussion of reparations would be off the agenda. The aid analysis shows the Commonwealth has fared poorly amid sharp cuts to the UK's overall aid budget, with reductions extending beyond countries now judged to be middle income, such as India and Antigua, to many countries still among the world's poorest and many struggling under heavy debt burdens.
Sierra Leone, one of the world's least developed countries, will see aid fall from nearly £30m in 2024-25 to £5m in 2028-29. The UK and Sierra Leone are to co-convene a strand of talks on adaptation to climate impacts at the Cop31 summit in Turkey next week. Aid to Rwanda, where the previous government had a scheme to send refugees, is also due to fall from nearly £30m to £5m, and Tanzania's aid will be slashed from £60m in 2025-26 to £5m in 2028-29. Funding for the Caribbean Development Team is set to drop from more than £98m in 2025-26 to £45m in 2026-27. Nigeria will continue to be one of the biggest destinations for Commonwealth aid, scheduled to receive £68m in 2028-29, down from £137m this year, leaving £63m for other countries.
Nature funding has been particularly hard-hit, experts said, with at least 26 Commonwealth countries prevented from receiving funds under the Darwin funding stream, worth about £40m a year. Adrian Gahan, UK lead at the Campaign for Nature charity, said: "UK aid to Commonwealth countries has fallen dramatically in recent years, with further cuts on the horizon. Some of the world's most biodiversity-rich countries, many of which are also grappling with high levels of poverty, are facing severe reductions in support. For example, the UK's Caribbean Development Team is set to see its funding cut by more than half between this year and next." Gahan noted the contrast between the government's stance at Chogm and the royal visit to the Caribbean, saying: "This week, the king attended the launch of the Commonwealth nature initiative, a major new effort to protect nature across Commonwealth countries. Yet the UK government failed to make a financial contribution."
Jean McLean, Oxfam GB chief influencing officer, said: "The UK government has really dropped the ball when it comes to the aid budget at exactly the moment when conflict, humanitarian crises, hunger and climate breakdown are driving global need to record levels. These cuts will not be felt in Westminster – they will be felt by families facing starvation, children denied healthcare and education, and communities struggling to survive the impacts of conflict and climate disasters."
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has been approached for comment.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- The cuts hit some of the world's poorest and most debt-burdened Commonwealth countries, including Sierra Leone, Rwanda and Tanzania, at a time of record global humanitarian need.
- Nature and climate work is affected: 26 Commonwealth countries are locked out of Darwin Initiative funding, and the UK and Sierra Leone are due to co-convene climate adaptation talks at Cop31 next week.
- The timing exposes a contrast between the government's summit rhetoric and its spending decisions, with Chogm closing on Wednesday.
Background
The cuts are part of a broader reduction in the UK aid budget, which has already shifted funding away from countries now judged middle income, such as India and Antigua. The new analysis shows the reductions extend far deeper, reaching some of the Commonwealth's poorest members. The disclosure comes during a week in which the king and prime minister have stressed the Commonwealth's importance, and as the British government pressed to keep reparations for slavery off the summit agenda.
Key Perspectives
King Charles: said it was "only right that we should acknowledge the great suffering and injustices" of slavery during the summit.
UK government: fought to ensure any discussion of reparations would be off the Chogm agenda, while cutting aid to Commonwealth countries.
Adrian Gahan, Campaign for Nature: says UK aid to Commonwealth countries has fallen dramatically, with the Caribbean Development Team's funding cut by more than half, and the government failed to contribute financially to the Commonwealth nature initiative.
Jean McLean, Oxfam GB: says the government has "really dropped the ball" on the aid budget at a time when conflict and climate breakdown are driving global need to record levels, and the cuts will be felt by families facing starvation.
What to Watch
- The Chogm closing statement on Wednesday, including whether aid or reparations feature.
- Whether the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office responds to the figures or revises the projected spending path.
- Cop31 in Turkey next week, where the UK and Sierra Leone co-convene climate adaptation talks, and whether the aid cuts affect that role.
Checked
12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 12 supported.
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- SupportedThe UK has slashed Commonwealth aid despite warm words at the Chogm summit, as an analysis reveals.UK news | The Guardian: “The UK government has slashed overseas aid to Commonwealth countries, the Guardian can reveal, in contrast to the warm words for the group from King Charles and the prime minister, Andy Burnham , this week.”
- SupportedFunding to Commonwealth nations with previous bilateral aid programmes will fall from £546m in 2024-25 to £131m in 2028-29.UK news | The Guardian: “Funding from the UK to the Commonwealth nations that previously had bilateral aid programmes will be cut from £546m in 2024-25 to £131m in 2028-29.”
- SupportedKing Charles is attending Chogm in Antigua.UK news | The Guardian: “The revelations come as the king attends the Commonwealth heads of government meeting (Chogm) this week in Antigua”
- SupportedKing Charles said it was “only right that we should acknowledge the great suffering and injustices” of slavery.UK news | The Guardian: “where he said it was “only right that we should acknowledge the great suffering and injustices” of slavery”
- SupportedBurnham’s government fought to keep any discussion of reparations off the agenda.UK news | The Guardian: “but where Burnham’s government fought to ensure that any discussion of reparations would be off the agenda.”
- SupportedSierra Leone’s aid will fall from nearly £30m in 2024-25 to £5m in 2028-29.UK news | The Guardian: “Sierra Leone, one of the world’s least developed countries, will have its aid slashed from nearly £30m in 2024-25 to £5m in 2028-29.”
- SupportedTanzania’s aid will fall from £60m in 2025-26 to £5m in 2028-29.UK news | The Guardian: “Aid to Tanzania will be slashed from £60m in 2025-26 to £5m in 2028-29.”
- SupportedNigeria is scheduled to receive £68m in 2028-29, down from £137m this year, leaving £63m for other countries.UK news | The Guardian: “Of that total, a large chunk – £68m – will go to Nigeria, leaving £63m for other countries.”
- SupportedAt least 26 Commonwealth countries have been prevented from receiving funds under the Darwin funding stream, worth about £40m a year.UK news | The Guardian: “At least 26 countries from the Commonwealth have been prevented from receiving funds under the longstanding Darwin funding stream, worth about £40m a year.”
- SupportedAdrian Gahan said UK aid to Commonwealth countries has fallen dramatically in recent years, with further cuts on the horizon.UK news | The Guardian: ““UK aid to Commonwealth countries has fallen dramatically in recent years, with further cuts on the horizon.””
- SupportedGahan said the king attended the launch of the Commonwealth nature initiative, but the UK government made no financial contribution.UK news | The Guardian: ““This week, the king attended the launch of the Commonwealth nature initiative, a major new effort to protect nature across Commonwealth countries,” said Gahan. “Yet the UK government failed to make a financial contribution.””
- SupportedJean McLean said the UK government had “really dropped the ball” on the aid budget as global need reached record levels.UK news | The Guardian: “The UK government has really dropped the ball when it comes to the aid budget at exactly the moment when conflict, humanitarian crises, hunger and climate breakdown are driving global need to record levels.”