# Foreign affairs and aid: the FCDO, embassies and aid

url: https://whereyourmoneygoes.co.uk/foreign-affairs/
updated: 29 September 2026
licence: Our words, analysis, charts and derived calculations: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), credit [Tekstak Ltd](https://tek-stak.co.uk). Figures: each source's own licence, listed under Sources.
publisher: [Tekstak Ltd](https://tek-stak.co.uk)

# Foreign affairs and aid: the FCDO, embassies and aid



Last updated 29 September 2026.
Figures refresh every night. [How each figure is worked out](/methodology/).





**£10.3bn** was spent on international services (diplomacy and aid) in the UK in 2025-26, **£149** per resident. That is −4.4% on a year earlier after inflation (−1.1% in cash). In 2025-26 prices it has gone from £10.2bn in 2006-07 to £10.3bn. Aid was £13.1bn in 2025, 0.44% of gross national income, against a plan of 0.3% by 2027. The FCDO runs 280 overseas posts.



Figure as of 16 July 2026. Source:
[HM Treasury](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6a5772f59e63154454413701/PESA_2026_CP_Chapter_5_tables.xlsx), [HM Treasury](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/60f573d2d3bf7f56824cc5f3/PESA_2021_CP_Chapter_5.xlsx), [HM Treasury](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a7f5c21e5274a2e87db561f/PESA_2016_Chapter_5_tables.xlsx), [HM Treasury](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a7c87a5ed915d6969f45852/pesa_2011_tables_chapter5.xlsx).





## Key figures



- £10.3bnSpent in 2025-26, cash

−1.1% on a year earlier
As of 16 July 2026
- −4.4%Real-terms change, 2025-26 on a year earlier

£10.3bn in 2025-26 prices
As of 16 July 2026
- £149Per resident, 2025-26


As of 16 July 2026
- 0.44%Aid as a share of gross national income, 2025


As of 17 September 2026
- 280FCDO overseas posts, 2025-26




Sources: [HM Treasury](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6a5772f59e63154454413701/PESA_2026_CP_Chapter_5_tables.xlsx), [Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6aaa467944ec1aa417346b08/Chart_tables_Statistics_on_International_Development_ODA_spend_2025.ods).





## What is the short version?



- **Three measures of the money:** HM Treasury’s international services, the FCDO’s budget and aid as the OECD counts it. They are shown apart.
- **The Foreign Office and DFID merged in September 2020;** earlier years add the two together.
- **16,611 staff at 31 March 2026:** 7,618 UK-based and 8,993 employed locally overseas.
- **Aid has fallen from 0.7% to 0.5% and is planned to reach 0.3% of national income by 2027.**






## Over the longest run published: cash, real terms and per head




**United Kingdom: spending in cash and in 2025-26 prices, £ billion**








Real terms use HM Treasury’s GDP deflator, 2025-26 prices. Breaks in the series: 2020-21: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Department for International Development merged into the FCDO on 2 September 2020. PESA restates the merged department from 2016-17; earlier years are the two added together here. 2016-17: Earlier FCDO years are the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Department for International Development added together, from PESA editions that published them apart; departmental boundaries (trade promotion, the conflict and stability funds) moved over time. 2021-22: Aid was cut from 0.7% to 0.5% of gross national income from 2021 (Spending Review 2020).




**The numbers behind this chart**





| Year | Real terms (2025-26 prices) | Cash |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 2006-07Details | £10.2bn | £6.3bn |
| Cash£6.3bn | | |
| 2007-08Details | £10.8bn | £6.7bn |
| Cash£6.7bn | | |
| 2008-09Details | £11.2bn | £7.2bn |
| Cash£7.2bn | | |
| 2009-10Details | £12.2bn | £8.0bn |
| Cash£8.0bn | | |
| 2010-11Details | £13.4bn | £8.9bn |
| Cash£8.9bn | | |
| 2011-12Details | £11.4bn | £7.7bn |
| Cash£7.7bn | | |
| 2012-13Details | £11.2bn | £7.7bn |
| Cash£7.7bn | | |
| 2013-14Details | £13.9bn | £9.8bn |
| Cash£9.8bn | | |
| 2014-15Details | £14.7bn | £10.5bn |
| Cash£10.5bn | | |
| 2015-16Details | £14.1bn | £10.1bn |
| Cash£10.1bn | | |
| 2016-17Details | £14.7bn | £10.8bn |
| Cash£10.8bn | | |
| 2017-18Details | £14.0bn | £10.4bn |
| Cash£10.4bn | | |
| 2018-19Details | £15.6bn | £11.9bn |
| Cash£11.9bn | | |
| 2019-20Details | £15.0bn | £11.7bn |
| Cash£11.7bn | | |
| 2020-21Details | £13.7bn | £11.3bn |
| Cash£11.3bn | | |
| 2021-22Details | £10.2bn | £8.4bn |
| Cash£8.4bn | | |
| 2022-23Details | £9.7bn | £8.6bn |
| Cash£8.6bn | | |
| 2023-24Details | £11.3bn | £10.5bn |
| Cash£10.5bn | | |
| 2024-25Details | £10.8bn | £10.4bn |
| Cash£10.4bn | | |
| 2025-26Details | £10.3bn | £10.3bn |
| Cash£10.3bn | | |






Figure as of 16 July 2026. Source:
[HM Treasury](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6a5772f59e63154454413701/PESA_2026_CP_Chapter_5_tables.xlsx), [HM Treasury](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/60f573d2d3bf7f56824cc5f3/PESA_2021_CP_Chapter_5.xlsx), [HM Treasury](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a7f5c21e5274a2e87db561f/PESA_2016_Chapter_5_tables.xlsx), [HM Treasury](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a7c87a5ed915d6969f45852/pesa_2011_tables_chapter5.xlsx).





**United Kingdom: spending per resident, 2025-26 prices**








Per resident divides by ONS mid-year population estimates.




**The numbers behind this chart**





| Year | Per resident, 2025-26 prices | Per resident, cash |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 2006-07Details | £168 | £103 |
| Per resident, cash£103 | | |
| 2007-08Details | £176 | £110 |
| Per resident, cash£110 | | |
| 2008-09Details | £181 | £117 |
| Per resident, cash£117 | | |
| 2009-10Details | £196 | £128 |
| Per resident, cash£128 | | |
| 2010-11Details | £213 | £142 |
| Per resident, cash£142 | | |
| 2011-12Details | £180 | £122 |
| Per resident, cash£122 | | |
| 2012-13Details | £175 | £121 |
| Per resident, cash£121 | | |
| 2013-14Details | £216 | £153 |
| Per resident, cash£153 | | |
| 2014-15Details | £227 | £162 |
| Per resident, cash£162 | | |
| 2015-16Details | £216 | £156 |
| Per resident, cash£156 | | |
| 2016-17Details | £224 | £165 |
| Per resident, cash£165 | | |
| 2017-18Details | £212 | £158 |
| Per resident, cash£158 | | |
| 2018-19Details | £235 | £179 |
| Per resident, cash£179 | | |
| 2019-20Details | £225 | £176 |
| Per resident, cash£176 | | |
| 2020-21Details | £206 | £169 |
| Per resident, cash£169 | | |
| 2021-22Details | £153 | £126 |
| Per resident, cash£126 | | |
| 2022-23Details | £144 | £127 |
| Per resident, cash£127 | | |
| 2023-24Details | £165 | £153 |
| Per resident, cash£153 | | |
| 2024-25Details | £156 | £151 |
| Per resident, cash£151 | | |
| 2025-26Details | £149 | £149 |
| Per resident, cash£149 | | |






Figure as of 16 July 2026. Source:
[HM Treasury](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6a5772f59e63154454413701/PESA_2026_CP_Chapter_5_tables.xlsx), [HM Treasury](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/60f573d2d3bf7f56824cc5f3/PESA_2021_CP_Chapter_5.xlsx), [HM Treasury](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a7f5c21e5274a2e87db561f/PESA_2016_Chapter_5_tables.xlsx), [HM Treasury](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a7c87a5ed915d6969f45852/pesa_2011_tables_chapter5.xlsx).





Source: HM Treasury, [PESA 2026: chapter 1 and 5 tables](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6a5772f59e63154454413701/PESA_2026_CP_Chapter_5_tables.xlsx), published 16 July 2026; HM Treasury, [PESA 2021: chapter 1 and 5 tables](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/60f573d2d3bf7f56824cc5f3/PESA_2021_CP_Chapter_5.xlsx), published 20 July 2021; HM Treasury, [PESA 2016: chapter 1 and 5 tables](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a7f5c21e5274a2e87db561f/PESA_2016_Chapter_5_tables.xlsx), published 21 July 2016; HM Treasury, [PESA 2011: chapter 1 and 5 tables](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a7c87a5ed915d6969f45852/pesa_2011_tables_chapter5.xlsx), published 13 July 2011.





## Aid and diplomacy: what the money is spent on



Of the £10.3bn the UK spent on international services in 2025-26,
£7.2bn was foreign economic aid and £3.1bn external affairs.
International services are compared with every other kind of public spending on
[where public money goes](/where-public-money-goes/) and [where every £100 of tax goes](/for-every-100-pounds-of-tax/).
Aid as the OECD counts it is a different, wider measure; it is further down this page.




**UK international services: aid and external affairs, 2025-26 prices, £ billion**








HM Treasury’s spending by function (PESA tables 5.2 and 5.4), each year from the newest edition that has it. External affairs is worked out here as international services less foreign economic aid: diplomacy and consular work, the overseas network, the British Council and BBC World Service grants, and subscriptions to international organisations. Real terms use HM Treasury’s GDP deflator.




**The numbers behind this chart**





| Year | Foreign economic aid | External affairs |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 2006-07Details | £7.0bn | £3.2bn |
| External affairs£3.2bn | | |
| 2007-08Details | £7.4bn | £3.4bn |
| External affairs£3.4bn | | |
| 2008-09Details | £7.7bn | £3.5bn |
| External affairs£3.5bn | | |
| 2009-10Details | £8.7bn | £3.5bn |
| External affairs£3.5bn | | |
| 2010-11Details | £9.7bn | £3.6bn |
| External affairs£3.6bn | | |
| 2011-12Details | £8.1bn | £3.3bn |
| External affairs£3.3bn | | |
| 2012-13Details | £8.1bn | £3.1bn |
| External affairs£3.1bn | | |
| 2013-14Details | £10.7bn | £3.1bn |
| External affairs£3.1bn | | |
| 2014-15Details | £11.9bn | £2.7bn |
| External affairs£2.7bn | | |
| 2015-16Details | £11.3bn | £2.7bn |
| External affairs£2.7bn | | |
| 2016-17Details | £11.9bn | £2.8bn |
| External affairs£2.8bn | | |
| 2017-18Details | £11.6bn | £2.4bn |
| External affairs£2.4bn | | |
| 2018-19Details | £12.4bn | £3.2bn |
| External affairs£3.2bn | | |
| 2019-20Details | £11.7bn | £3.3bn |
| External affairs£3.3bn | | |
| 2020-21Details | £10.5bn | £3.3bn |
| External affairs£3.3bn | | |
| 2021-22Details | £7.0bn | £3.2bn |
| External affairs£3.2bn | | |
| 2022-23Details | £5.9bn | £3.9bn |
| External affairs£3.9bn | | |
| 2023-24Details | £7.9bn | £3.5bn |
| External affairs£3.5bn | | |
| 2024-25Details | £7.9bn | £2.9bn |
| External affairs£2.9bn | | |
| 2025-26Details | £7.2bn | £3.1bn |
| External affairs£3.1bn | | |






Figure as of 16 July 2026. Source:
[HM Treasury](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6a5772f59e63154454413701/PESA_2026_CP_Chapter_5_tables.xlsx), [HM Treasury](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/60f573d2d3bf7f56824cc5f3/PESA_2021_CP_Chapter_5.xlsx), [HM Treasury](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a7f5c21e5274a2e87db561f/PESA_2016_Chapter_5_tables.xlsx), [HM Treasury](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a7c87a5ed915d6969f45852/pesa_2011_tables_chapter5.xlsx).






## The department: before and after the merger



The FCDO’s budget was £10.9bn in 2025-26: £7.4bn of programme spending,
£3.2bn of capital and a £333m administration budget for
running costs. The fall after 2020-21 is mostly the cut in aid from 0.7% to 0.5% of national income.




**The FCDO and its predecessors: programmes, capital and running costs, 2025-26 prices, £ billion**








Departmental expenditure limits from PESA chapter 1. Before 2016-17 the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Department for International Development are added together here; they merged on 2 September 2020 and PESA restates the merged department from 2016-17. Programme spending is worked out here as the total less capital and administration; it includes frontline staff at posts.




**The numbers behind this chart**





| Year | Programme spending (resource) | Capital | Administration budget |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2006-07Details | £8.8bn | £1.5bn | £0.7bn |
| Capital£1.5bnAdministration budget£0.7bn | | | |
| 2007-08Details | £9.3bn | £1.6bn | £0.6bn |
| Capital£1.6bnAdministration budget£0.6bn | | | |
| 2008-09Details | £9.7bn | £1.7bn | £0.7bn |
| Capital£1.7bnAdministration budget£0.7bn | | | |
| 2009-10Details | £10.4bn | £2.4bn | £0.7bn |
| Capital£2.4bnAdministration budget£0.7bn | | | |
| 2010-11Details | £11.3bn | £2.6bn | £0.8bn |
| Capital£2.6bnAdministration budget£0.8bn | | | |
| 2011-12Details | £11.3bn | £2.9bn | £0.4bn |
| Capital£2.9bnAdministration budget£0.4bn | | | |
| 2012-13Details | £11.0bn | £2.8bn | £0.4bn |
| Capital£2.8bnAdministration budget£0.4bn | | | |
| 2013-14Details | £13.4bn | £3.4bn | £0.4bn |
| Capital£3.4bnAdministration budget£0.4bn | | | |
| 2014-15Details | £11.8bn | £3.9bn | £0.4bn |
| Capital£3.9bnAdministration budget£0.4bn | | | |
| 2015-16Details | £11.6bn | £3.6bn | £0.3bn |
| Capital£3.6bnAdministration budget£0.3bn | | | |
| 2016-17Details | £12.4bn | £3.6bn | £0.3bn |
| Capital£3.6bnAdministration budget£0.3bn | | | |
| 2017-18Details | £12.5bn | £3.3bn | £0.4bn |
| Capital£3.3bnAdministration budget£0.4bn | | | |
| 2018-19Details | £12.0bn | £4.3bn | £0.3bn |
| Capital£4.3bnAdministration budget£0.3bn | | | |
| 2019-20Details | £13.0bn | £2.8bn | £0.3bn |
| Capital£2.8bnAdministration budget£0.3bn | | | |
| 2020-21Details | £11.5bn | £3.5bn | £0.3bn |
| Capital£3.5bnAdministration budget£0.3bn | | | |
| 2021-22Details | £8.7bn | £2.1bn | £0.3bn |
| Capital£2.1bnAdministration budget£0.3bn | | | |
| 2022-23Details | £7.8bn | £2.4bn | £0.3bn |
| Capital£2.4bnAdministration budget£0.3bn | | | |
| 2023-24Details | £7.9bn | £3.7bn | £0.3bn |
| Capital£3.7bnAdministration budget£0.3bn | | | |
| 2024-25Details | £8.2bn | £2.7bn | £0.3bn |
| Capital£2.7bnAdministration budget£0.3bn | | | |
| 2025-26Details | £7.4bn | £3.2bn | £0.3bn |
| Capital£3.2bnAdministration budget£0.3bn | | | |






Figure as of 16 July 2026. Source:
[HM Treasury](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6a5772f59e63154454413701/PESA_2026_CP_Chapter_5_tables.xlsx), [HM Treasury](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/60f573d2d3bf7f56824cc5f3/PESA_2021_CP_Chapter_5.xlsx), [HM Treasury](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a7f5c21e5274a2e87db561f/PESA_2016_Chapter_5_tables.xlsx), [HM Treasury](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a7c87a5ed915d6969f45852/pesa_2011_tables_chapter5.xlsx).






| Year | Foreign and Commonwealth Office | Department for International Development |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 2006-07Details | £1.9bn | £4.9bn |
| Department for International Development£4.9bn | | |
| 2007-08Details | £2.0bn | £5.2bn |
| Department for International Development£5.2bn | | |
| 2008-09Details | £2.2bn | £5.6bn |
| Department for International Development£5.6bn | | |
| 2009-10Details | £2.2bn | £6.6bn |
| Department for International Development£6.6bn | | |
| 2010-11Details | £2.3bn | £7.5bn |
| Department for International Development£7.5bn | | |
| 2011-12Details | £2.2bn | £7.8bn |
| Department for International Development£7.8bn | | |
| 2012-13Details | £2.0bn | £7.8bn |
| Department for International Development£7.8bn | | |
| 2013-14Details | £2.1bn | £10.0bn |
| Department for International Development£10.0bn | | |
| 2014-15Details | £1.9bn | £9.7bn |
| Department for International Development£9.7bn | | |
| 2015-16Details | £1.9bn | £9.3bn |
| Department for International Development£9.3bn | | |







| Year | Plan |
| --- | --- |
| 2026-27 | £9.4bn |
| 2027-28 | £8.7bn |
| 2028-29 | £9.3bn |





Plans, not spending, shown apart from the outturn above.





## Where the money goes, level by level



- UK total
- Nation not published
- Department or service body
- Local body not published
- Spending category
- Line or transaction





- United Kingdom





### United Kingdom



HM Treasury’s public spending on international services: foreign economic aid, and external affairs (diplomacy, consular services, the overseas network, information and cultural services abroad such as the British Council and the BBC World Service, and subscriptions to international organisations). Current and capital spending, PESA table 5.4. It is not the same as aid (ODA), which counts some spending by other departments, such as support for refugees in the UK, that sits under other functions.



**£10.3bn** in 2025-26 (cash); £10.3bn in 2025-26 prices; £149 per resident; −1.1% on a year earlier in cash, −4.4% in real terms.





| Department or service body | Cash, 2025-26 | Real terms (2025-26 prices) | Per resident | Real change on a year earlier | Source | Below this |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office](#sd-fcdo)Details | £10.9bn | £10.9bn | £157 | −3.6% | [HM Treasury](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6a57728b822fbe6b8245c9a1/PESA_2026_CP_Chapter_1_tables.xlsx) | Broken down below |
| Real terms (2025-26 prices)£10.9bnPer resident£157Real change on a year earlier−3.6%Source[HM Treasury](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6a57728b822fbe6b8245c9a1/PESA_2026_CP_Chapter_1_tables.xlsx)Below thisBroken down below | | | | | | |
| [Other departments’ international services](#sd-other-departments)Details | £159m | £159m | £2.29 | — | [HM Treasury](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6a5772f59e63154454413701/PESA_2026_CP_Chapter_5_tables.xlsx) | Broken down below |
| Real terms (2025-26 prices)£159mPer resident£2.29Real change on a year earlier—Source[HM Treasury](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6a5772f59e63154454413701/PESA_2026_CP_Chapter_5_tables.xlsx)Below thisBroken down below | | | | | | |








- United Kingdom
- Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office





### Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office



Total departmental expenditure limits (resource, excluding depreciation, plus capital). From 2016-17 as PESA restates it for the merged department; before that the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Department for International Development added together here, from 2006-07. It includes a little FCDO spending that HM Treasury classes as other than international services, and is a different measure from the total above.



**£10.9bn** in 2025-26 (cash); £10.9bn in 2025-26 prices; £157 per resident; −0.2% on a year earlier in cash, −3.6% in real terms.





| Spending category | Cash, 2025-26 | Real terms (2025-26 prices) | Per resident | Real change on a year earlier | Source | Below this |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Programme spending (resource)Details | £7.4bn | £7.4bn | £106 | −10.0% | [HM Treasury](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6a57728b822fbe6b8245c9a1/PESA_2026_CP_Chapter_1_tables.xlsx) | Line or transaction not published: HM Treasury does not break programme spending down further. The aid part is published by country, sector and partner in the Statistics on International Development (calendar years, aid only) and project by project on DevTracker; the FCDO’s annual report breaks its programme outturn down by directorate in PDF tables only. The FCDO’s monthly payments over £25,000 stopped being published after January 2025. |
| Real terms (2025-26 prices)£7.4bnPer resident£106Real change on a year earlier−10.0%Source[HM Treasury](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6a57728b822fbe6b8245c9a1/PESA_2026_CP_Chapter_1_tables.xlsx)Below thisLine or transaction not published: HM Treasury does not break programme spending down further. The aid part is published by country, sector and partner in the Statistics on International Development (calendar years, aid only) and project by project on DevTracker; the FCDO’s annual report breaks its programme outturn down by directorate in PDF tables only. The FCDO’s monthly payments over £25,000 stopped being published after January 2025. | | | | | | |
| CapitalDetails | £3.2bn | £3.2bn | £45.52 | +15.3% | [HM Treasury](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6a57728b822fbe6b8245c9a1/PESA_2026_CP_Chapter_1_tables.xlsx) | Line or transaction not published: Capital spending is not published below the department’s total in PESA; the annual report lists the largest capital items in PDF only. |
| Real terms (2025-26 prices)£3.2bnPer resident£45.52Real change on a year earlier+15.3%Source[HM Treasury](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6a57728b822fbe6b8245c9a1/PESA_2026_CP_Chapter_1_tables.xlsx)Below thisLine or transaction not published: Capital spending is not published below the department’s total in PESA; the annual report lists the largest capital items in PDF only. | | | | | | |
| Administration budget (running costs)Details | £333m | £333m | £4.79 | −1.2% | [HM Treasury](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6a57728b822fbe6b8245c9a1/PESA_2026_CP_Chapter_1_tables.xlsx) | Line or transaction not published: The administration budget is published as one figure. Running costs by post or embassy are not published. |
| Real terms (2025-26 prices)£333mPer resident£4.79Real change on a year earlier−1.2%Source[HM Treasury](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6a57728b822fbe6b8245c9a1/PESA_2026_CP_Chapter_1_tables.xlsx)Below thisLine or transaction not published: The administration budget is published as one figure. Running costs by post or embassy are not published. | | | | | | |








- United Kingdom
- Other departments’ international services





### Other departments’ international services



Spending classed as international services by departments other than the FCDO, 2025-26 only: PESA publishes this split for the latest year of each edition.



**£159m** in 2025-26 (cash); £159m in 2025-26 prices; £2.29 per resident.





| Line or transaction | Cash, 2025-26 | Real terms (2025-26 prices) | Per resident | Real change on a year earlier | Source | Below this |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Environment, Food and Rural AffairsDetails | £128m | £128m | £1.84 | — | [HM Treasury](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6a5772f59e63154454413701/PESA_2026_CP_Chapter_5_tables.xlsx) | |
| Real terms (2025-26 prices)£128mPer resident£1.84Real change on a year earlier—Source[HM Treasury](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6a5772f59e63154454413701/PESA_2026_CP_Chapter_5_tables.xlsx) | | | | | | |
| Energy Security and Net ZeroDetails | £31m | £31m | £0.45 | — | [HM Treasury](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6a5772f59e63154454413701/PESA_2026_CP_Chapter_5_tables.xlsx) | |
| Real terms (2025-26 prices)£31mPer resident£0.45Real change on a year earlier—Source[HM Treasury](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6a5772f59e63154454413701/PESA_2026_CP_Chapter_5_tables.xlsx) | | | | | | |






Cash is as published. Real terms are in 2025-26 prices, using HM Treasury’s GDP deflator. Per resident divides by
ONS mid-year population for the area the body serves. Changes compare the same body in consecutive years.






## Search the department's payments over £25,000



Every payment of £25,000 or more the department published for the latest year, as published.
See [every department's spending over £25,000](/government-spending-over-25000/) for what each covers.




Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office published **53,693 payments** worth
**£8.80bn** to 1,895 suppliers and recipients
from February 2024 to January 2025 (12 of 12 months published).



**Gaps and problems in the data, as published (3)**

- The newest payment published is from 2025-01, 20 months before this was read.
- 73% of rows are under £25,000: the department lists individual lines of larger payments, or publishes some smaller ones. They are kept as published.
- 4 credits and refunds (negative amounts, £103,471 in all) are included, so totals are net.




Searching needs JavaScript. Every payment is in [one JSON file](/data/spend25k/tx/fcdo.json).




Source: Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, [spending over £25,000](https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/fcdo-departmental-spending-over-25000) on GOV.UK, Open Government Licence v3.0.
12 files read, newest updated 2025-02-27; every payment kept is in [one JSON file](/data/spend25k/tx/fcdo.json).




**Every file read (12)**



- [FCDO’s spending over £25,000 for January 2025](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/67c03784b0bb6528ee866b78/FCDO_Spend_25k_January_2025.csv) (2025-01): 4,418 rows. Read 2026-09-24.
- [FCDO’s spending over £25,000 for December 2024](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/67c03842a0f0c95a498d2027/FCDO_Spend_25k_December_2024.csv) (2024-12): 7,278 rows. Read 2026-09-24.
- [FCDO’s spending over £25,000 for November 2024](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/67c038c072e83aab48866b7c/FCDO_Spend_25k_November_2024.csv) (2024-11): 2,438 rows. Read 2026-09-24.
- [FCDO’s spending over £25,000 for October 2024](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/67449fc34a89e48361cb35dd/FCDO_spend_25k_October_2024.csv) (2024-10): 6,652 rows. Read 2026-09-24.
- [FCDO’s spending over £25,000 for September 2024](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/671a586cb31c669e899c1475/FCDO_spend_25k_September_2024.csv) (2024-09): 4,228 rows. Read 2026-09-24.
- [FCDO’s spending over £25,000 for August 2024](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/671a57b1da8fb5e23e65a4ae/FCDO_spend_25k_August_2024.csv) (2024-08): 4,217 rows. Read 2026-09-24.
- [FCDO’s spending over £25,000 for July 2024](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/671a56526018ea87ac85a608/FCDO_spend_25k_July_2024.csv) (2024-07): 2,919 rows. Read 2026-09-24.
- [FCDO’s spending over £25,000 for June 2024](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/671a55c6f7c956b7d065a493/FCDO_spend_25k_June_2024.csv) (2024-06): 4,867 rows. Read 2026-09-24.
- [FCDO’s spending over £25,000 for May 2024](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/671a5508593bb124be9c145f/FCDO_spend_25k_May_2024.csv) (2024-05): 4,411 rows. Read 2026-09-24.
- [FCDO’s spending over £25,000 for April 2024](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/671a54a2da8fb5e23e65a4a7/FCDO_spend_25k_April_2024.csv) (2024-04): 3,629 rows. Read 2026-09-24.
- [FCDO’s spending over £25,000 for March 2024](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/671a543cf7c956b7d065a48d/FCDO_spend_25k_March_2024.csv) (2024-03): 3,188 rows. Read 2026-09-24.
- [FCDO’s spending over £25,000 for February 2024](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/671a53f1593bb124be9c145d/FCDO_spend_25k_February_2024.csv) (2024-02): 5,448 rows. Read 2026-09-24.








## Aid: the target, who spends it and what it costs to run



The UK spent **£13.1bn** on aid in 2025, 0.44% of gross national income.
It first reached 0.7% in 2013. The FCDO spent 69.1% of it;
the rest went through other departments, above all the Home Office’s support for asylum seekers in the UK.
Administration costs were £790m (6.0% of all aid).




**UK aid as a share of gross national income, %**








Calendar years, from the FCDO’s Statistics on International Development. From 2018 aid is measured on the OECD’s grant-equivalent basis. The 0.7% target was in law from 2015; the government reduced aid to 0.5% from 2021 and plans 0.3% by 2027.




**The numbers behind this chart**



Search




| Year | Aid, % of GNI | 0.7% target |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1970Details | 0.36% | 0.70% |
| 0.7% target0.70% | | |
| 1971Details | 0.40% | 0.70% |
| 0.7% target0.70% | | |
| 1972Details | 0.38% | 0.70% |
| 0.7% target0.70% | | |
| 1973Details | 0.34% | 0.70% |
| 0.7% target0.70% | | |
| 1974Details | 0.40% | 0.70% |
| 0.7% target0.70% | | |
| 1975Details | 0.39% | 0.70% |
| 0.7% target0.70% | | |
| 1976Details | 0.39% | 0.70% |
| 0.7% target0.70% | | |
| 1977Details | 0.44% | 0.70% |
| 0.7% target0.70% | | |
| 1978Details | 0.46% | 0.70% |
| 0.7% target0.70% | | |
| 1979Details | 0.51% | 0.70% |
| 0.7% target0.70% | | |
| 1980Details | 0.35% | 0.70% |
| 0.7% target0.70% | | |
| 1981Details | 0.43% | 0.70% |
| 0.7% target0.70% | | |
| 1982Details | 0.37% | 0.70% |
| 0.7% target0.70% | | |
| 1983Details | 0.35% | 0.70% |
| 0.7% target0.70% | | |
| 1984Details | 0.33% | 0.70% |
| 0.7% target0.70% | | |
| 1985Details | 0.33% | 0.70% |
| 0.7% target0.70% | | |
| 1986Details | 0.31% | 0.70% |
| 0.7% target0.70% | | |
| 1987Details | 0.28% | 0.70% |
| 0.7% target0.70% | | |
| 1988Details | 0.32% | 0.70% |
| 0.7% target0.70% | | |
| 1989Details | 0.31% | 0.70% |
| 0.7% target0.70% | | |
| 1990Details | 0.27% | 0.70% |
| 0.7% target0.70% | | |
| 1991Details | 0.32% | 0.70% |
| 0.7% target0.70% | | |
| 1992Details | 0.31% | 0.70% |
| 0.7% target0.70% | | |
| 1993Details | 0.31% | 0.70% |
| 0.7% target0.70% | | |
| 1994Details | 0.31% | 0.70% |
| 0.7% target0.70% | | |
| 1995Details | 0.29% | 0.70% |
| 0.7% target0.70% | | |
| 1996Details | 0.27% | 0.70% |
| 0.7% target0.70% | | |
| 1997Details | 0.26% | 0.70% |
| 0.7% target0.70% | | |
| 1998Details | 0.27% | 0.70% |
| 0.7% target0.70% | | |
| 1999Details | 0.24% | 0.70% |
| 0.7% target0.70% | | |
| 2000Details | 0.32% | 0.70% |
| 0.7% target0.70% | | |
| 2001Details | 0.32% | 0.70% |
| 0.7% target0.70% | | |
| 2002Details | 0.31% | 0.70% |
| 0.7% target0.70% | | |
| 2003Details | 0.34% | 0.70% |
| 0.7% target0.70% | | |
| 2004Details | 0.36% | 0.70% |
| 0.7% target0.70% | | |
| 2005Details | 0.47% | 0.70% |
| 0.7% target0.70% | | |
| 2006Details | 0.51% | 0.70% |
| 0.7% target0.70% | | |
| 2007Details | 0.36% | 0.70% |
| 0.7% target0.70% | | |
| 2008Details | 0.43% | 0.70% |
| 0.7% target0.70% | | |
| 2009Details | 0.51% | 0.70% |
| 0.7% target0.70% | | |
| 2010Details | 0.57% | 0.70% |
| 0.7% target0.70% | | |
| 2011Details | 0.56% | 0.70% |
| 0.7% target0.70% | | |
| 2012Details | 0.56% | 0.70% |
| 0.7% target0.70% | | |
| 2013Details | 0.70% | 0.70% |
| 0.7% target0.70% | | |
| 2014Details | 0.70% | 0.70% |
| 0.7% target0.70% | | |
| 2015Details | 0.70% | 0.70% |
| 0.7% target0.70% | | |
| 2016Details | 0.70% | 0.70% |
| 0.7% target0.70% | | |
| 2017Details | 0.70% | 0.70% |
| 0.7% target0.70% | | |
| 2018Details | 0.70% | 0.70% |
| 0.7% target0.70% | | |
| 2019Details | 0.70% | 0.70% |
| 0.7% target0.70% | | |
| 2020Details | 0.70% | 0.70% |
| 0.7% target0.70% | | |
| 2021Details | 0.50% | 0.70% |
| 0.7% target0.70% | | |
| 2022Details | 0.51% | 0.70% |
| 0.7% target0.70% | | |
| 2023Details | 0.58% | 0.70% |
| 0.7% target0.70% | | |
| 2024Details | 0.50% | 0.70% |
| 0.7% target0.70% | | |
| 2025Details | 0.44% | 0.70% |
| 0.7% target0.70% | | |











Figure as of 17 September 2026. Source:
[Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6aaa467944ec1aa417346b08/Chart_tables_Statistics_on_International_Development_ODA_spend_2025.ods).





How the aid target has changed



- 26 March 2015

The International Development (Official Development Assistance Target) Act 2015 puts a duty on the Secretary of State to meet the target of 0.7% of gross national income as aid each calendar year from 2015. ([legislation.gov.uk: International Development (Official Development Assistance Target) Act 2015](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2015/12/contents))
- 25 November 2020

Spending Review 2020: the UK will spend the equivalent of 0.5% of gross national income as aid in 2021, about £10 billion in 2021-22; the government says it remains committed to returning to 0.7% when the fiscal situation allows. ([HM Treasury, Spending Review 2020, paragraph 7.17](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/spending-review-2020-documents/spending-review-2020))
- 25 February 2025

The Prime Minister announces that higher defence spending will be paid for by reducing aid from 0.5% to 0.3% of gross national income; the government remains committed to returning to 0.7% when fiscal conditions allow. ([Prime Minister's Office, press release, 25 February 2025](https://www.gov.uk/government/news/prime-minister-sets-out-biggest-sustained-increase-in-defence-spending-since-the-cold-war-protecting-british-people-in-new-era-for-national-security))
- 27 March 2025

Spring Statement 2025: aid falls gradually from about 0.5% of gross national income in 2024-25 to 0.3% by 2027, with budgets set on the Spring Statement's forecast of national income rather than moving automatically with it. ([HM Treasury and FCDO, Future international development spending set out in Spring Statement](https://www.gov.uk/government/news/future-international-development-spending-set-out-in-spring-statement))







| Department or channel | 2024 | 2025 | Share of aid, 2025 |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Foreign, Commonwealth and Development OfficeDetails | £9.5bn | £9.1bn | 69.1% |
| 2025£9.1bnShare of aid, 202569.1% | | | |
| Home OfficeDetails | £2.4bn | £2.1bn | 15.8% |
| 2025£2.1bnShare of aid, 202515.8% | | | |
| Department for Health and Social CareDetails | £424m | £400m | 3.1% |
| 2025£400mShare of aid, 20253.1% | | | |
| UK Integrated Security FundDetails | £387m | £265m | 2.0% |
| 2025£265mShare of aid, 20252.0% | | | |
| Department for Energy Security and Net ZeroDetails | £408m | £200m | 1.5% |
| 2025£200mShare of aid, 20251.5% | | | |
| Department for Science, Innovation and TechnologyDetails | £214m | £199m | 1.5% |
| 2025£199mShare of aid, 20251.5% | | | |
| Gift AidDetails | £168m | £195m | 1.5% |
| 2025£195mShare of aid, 20251.5% | | | |
| Department for Environment Food and Rural AffairsDetails | £186m | £193m | 1.5% |
| 2025£193mShare of aid, 20251.5% | | | |
| UK Export FinanceDetails | £25m | £135m | 1.0% |
| 2025£135mShare of aid, 20251.0% | | | |
| Department for Work and PensionsDetails | £95m | £89m | 0.7% |
| 2025£89mShare of aid, 20250.7% | | | |
| Department for EducationDetails | £91m | £74m | 0.6% |
| 2025£74mShare of aid, 20250.6% | | | |
| Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentDetails | £98m | £69m | 0.5% |
| 2025£69mShare of aid, 20250.5% | | | |






**Aid spent on administration and on refugees in the UK, £ million, cash**








Bilateral aid by sector, calendar years. Administration costs are the running costs of managing aid not charged to programmes, across every department that spends aid. Refugee costs are the first year’s support for asylum seekers and refugees in the UK, which OECD rules let donors count as aid.




**The numbers behind this chart**





| Year | Administration costs of donors | Refugees in the UK |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 2009Details | £254m | £7m |
| Refugees in the UK£7m | | |
| 2010Details | £238m | £12m |
| Refugees in the UK£12m | | |
| 2011Details | £286m | £20m |
| Refugees in the UK£20m | | |
| 2012Details | £333m | £28m |
| Refugees in the UK£28m | | |
| 2013Details | £352m | £32m |
| Refugees in the UK£32m | | |
| 2014Details | £373m | £135m |
| Refugees in the UK£135m | | |
| 2015Details | £378m | £245m |
| Refugees in the UK£245m | | |
| 2016Details | £470m | £410m |
| Refugees in the UK£410m | | |
| 2017Details | £543m | £378m |
| Refugees in the UK£378m | | |
| 2018Details | £658m | £370m |
| Refugees in the UK£370m | | |
| 2019Details | £759m | £477m |
| Refugees in the UK£477m | | |
| 2020Details | £784m | £628m |
| Refugees in the UK£628m | | |
| 2021Details | £740m | £1,052m |
| Refugees in the UK£1,052m | | |
| 2022Details | £678m | £3,690m |
| Refugees in the UK£3,690m | | |
| 2023Details | £705m | £4,273m |
| Refugees in the UK£4,273m | | |
| 2024Details | £714m | £2,827m |
| Refugees in the UK£2,827m | | |
| 2025Details | £790m | £2,403m |
| Refugees in the UK£2,403m | | |






Figure as of 17 September 2026. Source:
[Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6aaa4dab0420ac660805f887/Additional_tables_Statistics_on_International_Development_ODA_spend_2025.ods).




Source: Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, [Statistics on International Development: final UK ODA spend 2025: chart tables](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6aaa467944ec1aa417346b08/Chart_tables_Statistics_on_International_Development_ODA_spend_2025.ods), published 17 September 2026; Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, [Statistics on International Development: final UK ODA spend 2025: additional tables](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6aaa4dab0420ac660805f887/Additional_tables_Statistics_on_International_Development_ODA_spend_2025.ods), published 17 September 2026.





## Staff and the overseas network





| Date | All staff | UK-based | Country-based | UK-based FTE |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 31 March 2021Details | 16,732 | 7,471 | 9,261 | 7,329 |
| UK-based7,471Country-based9,261UK-based FTE7,329 | | | | |
| 31 March 2022Details | 16,124 | 7,076 | 9,048 | 6,940 |
| UK-based7,076Country-based9,048UK-based FTE6,940 | | | | |
| 31 March 2023Details | 17,033 | 7,601 | 9,432 | 7,463 |
| UK-based7,601Country-based9,432UK-based FTE7,463 | | | | |
| 31 March 2024Details | 17,532 | 8,167 | 9,365 | 8,034 |
| UK-based8,167Country-based9,365UK-based FTE8,034 | | | | |
| 31 March 2025Details | 17,326 | 8,152 | 9,174 | 8,019 |
| UK-based8,152Country-based9,174UK-based FTE8,019 | | | | |
| 31 March 2026Details | 16,611 | 7,618 | 8,993 | 7,500 |
| UK-based7,618Country-based8,993UK-based FTE7,500 | | | | |





UK-based payroll staff numbered 7,248 in August 2026, down 10.3% on a year earlier.




**FCDO UK-based staff, monthly payroll headcount**








The FCDO’s monthly workforce management information: UK-based payroll staff only. Country-based staff, employed locally by posts overseas, are about half the workforce and are not in these files; the table above has them at each 31 March. Months with no published file are left out.




**The numbers behind this chart**



Search




| Year | Headcount | Full-time equivalent |
| --- | --- | --- |
| September 2020Details | 7,740 | 7,600 |
| Full-time equivalent7,600 | | |
| October 2020Details | 7,677 | 7,533 |
| Full-time equivalent7,533 | | |
| November 2020Details | 7,610 | 7,468 |
| Full-time equivalent7,468 | | |
| December 2020Details | 7,514 | 7,373 |
| Full-time equivalent7,373 | | |
| January 2021Details | 7,481 | 7,341 |
| Full-time equivalent7,341 | | |
| February 2021Details | 7,458 | 7,317 |
| Full-time equivalent7,317 | | |
| March 2021Details | 7,471 | 7,329 |
| Full-time equivalent7,329 | | |
| April 2021Details | 7,439 | 7,299 |
| Full-time equivalent7,299 | | |
| May 2021Details | 7,408 | 7,268 |
| Full-time equivalent7,268 | | |
| June 2021Details | 7,390 | 7,251 |
| Full-time equivalent7,251 | | |
| July 2021Details | 7,373 | 7,233 |
| Full-time equivalent7,233 | | |
| August 2021Details | 7,301 | 7,163 |
| Full-time equivalent7,163 | | |
| September 2021Details | 7,242 | 7,100 |
| Full-time equivalent7,100 | | |
| October 2021Details | 7,172 | 7,032 |
| Full-time equivalent7,032 | | |
| November 2021Details | 7,118 | 6,977 |
| Full-time equivalent6,977 | | |
| December 2021Details | 7,112 | 6,973 |
| Full-time equivalent6,973 | | |
| January 2022Details | 7,073 | 6,935 |
| Full-time equivalent6,935 | | |
| February 2022Details | 7,073 | 6,938 |
| Full-time equivalent6,938 | | |
| March 2022Details | 7,076 | 6,940 |
| Full-time equivalent6,940 | | |
| January 2023Details | 7,484 | 7,334 |
| Full-time equivalent7,334 | | |
| February 2023Details | 7,527 | 7,395 |
| Full-time equivalent7,395 | | |
| March 2023Details | 7,601 | 7,463 |
| Full-time equivalent7,463 | | |
| April 2023Details | 7,658 | 7,527 |
| Full-time equivalent7,527 | | |
| May 2023Details | 7,731 | 7,594 |
| Full-time equivalent7,594 | | |
| June 2023Details | 7,798 | 7,667 |
| Full-time equivalent7,667 | | |
| July 2023Details | 7,828 | 7,697 |
| Full-time equivalent7,697 | | |
| August 2023Details | 7,881 | 7,750 |
| Full-time equivalent7,750 | | |
| September 2023Details | 7,918 | 7,787 |
| Full-time equivalent7,787 | | |
| October 2023Details | 7,967 | 7,835 |
| Full-time equivalent7,835 | | |
| November 2023Details | 8,027 | 7,891 |
| Full-time equivalent7,891 | | |
| December 2023Details | 8,080 | 7,945 |
| Full-time equivalent7,945 | | |
| January 2024Details | 8,121 | 7,985 |
| Full-time equivalent7,985 | | |
| February 2024Details | 8,140 | 8,006 |
| Full-time equivalent8,006 | | |
| March 2024Details | 8,167 | 8,034 |
| Full-time equivalent8,034 | | |
| April 2024Details | 8,199 | 8,066 |
| Full-time equivalent8,066 | | |
| May 2024Details | 8,213 | 8,076 |
| Full-time equivalent8,076 | | |
| June 2024Details | 8,188 | 8,054 |
| Full-time equivalent8,054 | | |
| July 2024Details | 8,210 | 8,077 |
| Full-time equivalent8,077 | | |
| August 2024Details | 8,250 | 8,117 |
| Full-time equivalent8,117 | | |
| September 2024Details | 8,266 | 8,132 |
| Full-time equivalent8,132 | | |
| October 2024Details | 8,318 | 8,184 |
| Full-time equivalent8,184 | | |
| November 2024Details | 8,302 | 8,171 |
| Full-time equivalent8,171 | | |
| December 2024Details | 8,273 | 8,141 |
| Full-time equivalent8,141 | | |
| January 2025Details | 8,239 | 8,107 |
| Full-time equivalent8,107 | | |
| February 2025Details | 8,171 | 8,038 |
| Full-time equivalent8,038 | | |
| March 2025Details | 8,152 | 8,019 |
| Full-time equivalent8,019 | | |
| April 2025Details | 8,148 | 8,015 |
| Full-time equivalent8,015 | | |
| May 2025Details | 8,126 | 7,993 |
| Full-time equivalent7,993 | | |
| June 2025Details | 8,114 | 7,978 |
| Full-time equivalent7,978 | | |
| July 2025Details | 8,098 | 7,960 |
| Full-time equivalent7,960 | | |
| August 2025Details | 8,082 | 7,944 |
| Full-time equivalent7,944 | | |
| September 2025Details | 8,067 | 7,927 |
| Full-time equivalent7,927 | | |
| October 2025Details | 8,064 | 7,927 |
| Full-time equivalent7,927 | | |
| November 2025Details | 7,781 | 7,659 |
| Full-time equivalent7,659 | | |
| December 2025Details | 7,707 | 7,586 |
| Full-time equivalent7,586 | | |
| January 2026Details | 7,660 | 7,541 |
| Full-time equivalent7,541 | | |
| February 2026Details | 7,640 | 7,521 |
| Full-time equivalent7,521 | | |
| March 2026Details | 7,618 | 7,500 |
| Full-time equivalent7,500 | | |
| April 2026Details | 7,554 | 7,437 |
| Full-time equivalent7,437 | | |
| June 2026Details | 7,497 | 7,382 |
| Full-time equivalent7,382 | | |
| July 2026Details | 7,389 | 7,283 |
| Full-time equivalent7,283 | | |
| August 2026Details | 7,248 | 7,150 |
| Full-time equivalent7,150 | | |











Figure as of unknown date. Source:
[Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6ab28d268cb3c0580e500fd1/FCDO_workforce_management_information_August_2026.csv).






| Kind of post | Number |
| --- | --- |
| Embassies and high commissions | 162 |
| Consulates, consulates-general and deputy high commissions | 63 |
| Permanent missions to international organisations | 11 |
| Overseas Territories posts | 12 |
| Resident commissioners | 4 |
| Other representation | 30 |
| **All officially designated posts** | 280 |





The report gives the total as 280; the categories it lists add up to 282. Earlier years: 2021-22 282, 2022-23 281, 2023-24 281, 2024-25 282. From the FCDO’s annual reports, checked 24 September 2026. Spending by post is not published.





## The British Council and the BBC World Service



The British Council is a charity and public corporation sponsored by the FCDO; most of its income is earned from English
teaching, exams and contracts, not from the grant. It had 9,446 employees in the year to 31 March 2025.
The British Council also relies on a £197 million loan from the FCDO on commercial terms, extended to 30 September 2027.





| Year | FCDO grant-in-aid | of which aid | Total income | Earned from its activities | Share earned |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2020-21Details | £149.0m | £135.0m | £925.0m | £762.4m | 82.4% |
| of which aid£135.0mTotal income£925.0mEarned from its activities£762.4mShare earned82.4% | | | | | |
| 2021-22Details | £189.0m | £150.0m | £896.7m | £706.1m | 78.7% |
| of which aid£150.0mTotal income£896.7mEarned from its activities£706.1mShare earned78.7% | | | | | |
| 2022-23Details | £163.4m | £125.2m | £873.3m | £695.1m | 79.6% |
| of which aid£125.2mTotal income£873.3mEarned from its activities£695.1mShare earned79.6% | | | | | |
| 2023-24Details | £161.5m | £126.5m | £989.3m | £786.8m | 79.5% |
| of which aid£126.5mTotal income£989.3mEarned from its activities£786.8mShare earned79.5% | | | | | |
| 2024-25Details | £162.5m | £126.5m | £1,010.4m | £826.3m | 81.8% |
| of which aid£126.5mTotal income£1,010.4mEarned from its activities£826.3mShare earned81.8% | | | | | |
| 2025-26Details | £178.1m | £126.9m | — | — | — |
| of which aid£126.9mTotal income—Earned from its activities—Share earned— | | | | | |





Grant-in-aid from the FCDO’s annual reports; income from the Charity Commission register (year to 31 March), with the total added up here from its parts. Checked 24 September 2026.





| Year | Total | Aid (ODA) | Not aid | Outturn or plan |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2021-22Details | £94.4m | £76.9m | £17.5m | Outturn |
| Aid (ODA)£76.9mNot aid£17.5mOutturn or planOutturn | | | | |
| 2022-23Details | £95.8m | £78.3m | £17.5m | Outturn |
| Aid (ODA)£78.3mNot aid£17.5mOutturn or planOutturn | | | | |
| 2023-24Details | £104.4m | £76.9m | £27.5m | Outturn |
| Aid (ODA)£76.9mNot aid£27.5mOutturn or planOutturn | | | | |
| 2024-25Details | £104.4m | £76.9m | £27.5m | Outturn |
| Aid (ODA)£76.9mNot aid£27.5mOutturn or planOutturn | | | | |
| 2025-26Details | £142.0m | £82.5m | £59.5m | Outturn |
| Aid (ODA)£82.5mNot aid£59.5mOutturn or planOutturn | | | | |
| 2026-27Details | £148.0m | £85.5m | £62.5m | Plan |
| Aid (ODA)£85.5mNot aid£62.5mOutturn or planPlan | | | | |
| 2027-28Details | £148.0m | £88.5m | £59.5m | Plan |
| Aid (ODA)£88.5mNot aid£59.5mOutturn or planPlan | | | | |
| 2028-29Details | £148.0m | £91.5m | £56.5m | Plan |
| Aid (ODA)£91.5mNot aid£56.5mOutturn or planPlan | | | | |





From the programme annex of the FCDO’s annual reports. The licence fee pays for the rest of the World Service; that is in the BBC’s own accounts, not here.



Source: Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, [FCDO annual report and accounts (staff report, arm’s length bodies, programme annex; hand-kept)](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fcdo-annual-report-and-accounts-2025-to-2026); Charity Commission for England and Wales, [Register of charities: The British Council (209131), financial history (hand-kept)](https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/209131/financial-history).





## What each figure counts




What each measure counts



- UK official development assistance (aid)

All UK spending that counts as aid under the OECD’s rules, by every department and fund, in the calendar year; cash.
- Aid as a share of gross national income

UK aid divided by gross national income, the measure the 0.7%, 0.5% and 0.3% targets use. Calendar years; the method for counting some loans and in-donor refugee costs changed in 2018.
- Aid administration costs

Bilateral aid recorded as “administrative costs of donors”: the running costs of managing aid that are not charged to a programme. Calendar years, cash.
- Aid spent on refugees in the UK

In-donor refugee costs: the first year of support for asylum seekers and refugees in the UK, which the OECD rules let donors count as aid. Calendar years, cash.
- UK-based staff (payroll headcount)

The FCDO’s UK-based payroll staff at the end of the month, in the UK and overseas; excludes country-based staff employed locally by embassies, and contractors.
- Country-based staff at 31 March

Staff recruited and employed locally by the FCDO’s posts overseas, at 31 March. From the annual report (hand-kept).
- Overseas posts

Officially designated overseas posts: embassies, high commissions, consulates, permanent missions, Overseas Territories posts and other representation, as the annual report counts them (hand-kept).
- British Council income from its charitable activities

Income the British Council earns from English teaching, exams and contracts (the register’s “charitable activities”), year to 31 March.
- FCDO funding for the BBC World Service

The FCDO’s grant to the BBC World Service in the financial year, ODA and non-ODA together, from the FCDO’s annual report (hand-kept). The licence fee pays for the rest of the World Service.







## What these figures do and don't show



- **Three measures, not one.** HM Treasury’s international services (the long-run chart), the FCDO’s departmental limits (the drill-down) and aid as the OECD counts it measure different things and do not match.
- **Financial years and calendar years are kept apart.** Spending and budgets are financial years; aid statistics are calendar years and are never added to them.
- **The merger is a break.** The FCO and DFID merged on 2 September 2020. PESA restates the merged department from 2016-17; earlier years add the two departments together here, and their boundaries moved over time.
- **Some figures are worked out here.** External affairs is international services less foreign economic aid; programme spending is total DEL less capital and the administration budget; the British Council’s total income is added up from its parts.
- **Not everything is published.** There is no spending by embassy or post, and no nation level: foreign affairs are reserved and spent for the UK as a whole. The FCDO stopped publishing its payments over £25,000 after January 2025.
- **Hand-kept figures come from PDFs.** Staff at 31 March, the overseas network, British Council grant and BBC World Service funding are from the FCDO’s annual reports, each checked on the date shown.
- **Nothing here shows cause and effect.** Staff, posts and aid are shown beside the money, not as what it bought.




Figures from data/services/foreign-affairs.json, generated 29 September 2026.



## Use this data



The figures belong to the bodies that published them and are used under their terms, listed in
[Sources for this page](#sources); most are Crown copyright under the Open Government Licence.
Only our own words, analysis, charts and derived calculations are ours, published under
[CC BY 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/): reuse them, including
commercially, if you credit [Tekstak Ltd](https://tek-stak.co.uk) and link back to this page.



### Download



- [Foreign affairs and aid: the FCDO, embassies and aid: the dataset (CSV)](/data/services/foreign-affairs.csv)
[JSON](/data/services/foreign-affairs.json)

- [All data, field definitions and licences](/data/)







## Sources for this page





| Source | Publisher | Figures as of | Updated | Licence |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [PESA 2026: chapter 1 and 5 tables](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6a5772f59e63154454413701/PESA_2026_CP_Chapter_5_tables.xlsx) | HM Treasury | 16 July 2026 | annual | [Open Government Licence v3.0](https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/) |
| [PESA 2021: chapter 1 and 5 tables](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/60f573d2d3bf7f56824cc5f3/PESA_2021_CP_Chapter_5.xlsx) | HM Treasury | 20 July 2021 | annual | [Open Government Licence v3.0](https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/) |
| [PESA 2016: chapter 1 and 5 tables](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a7f5c21e5274a2e87db561f/PESA_2016_Chapter_5_tables.xlsx) | HM Treasury | 21 July 2016 | annual | [Open Government Licence v3.0](https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/) |
| [PESA 2011: chapter 1 and 5 tables](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a7c87a5ed915d6969f45852/pesa_2011_tables_chapter5.xlsx) | HM Treasury | 13 July 2011 | annual | [Open Government Licence v3.0](https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/) |
| [Statistics on International Development: final UK ODA spend 2025: chart tables](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6aaa467944ec1aa417346b08/Chart_tables_Statistics_on_International_Development_ODA_spend_2025.ods) | Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office | 17 September 2026 | annual | [Open Government Licence v3.0](https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/) |
| [FCDO annual report and accounts (staff report, arm’s length bodies, programme annex; hand-kept)](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fcdo-annual-report-and-accounts-2025-to-2026) | Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office | — | annual | [Open Government Licence v3.0](https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/) |
| [Statistics on International Development: final UK ODA spend 2025: additional tables](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6aaa4dab0420ac660805f887/Additional_tables_Statistics_on_International_Development_ODA_spend_2025.ods) | Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office | 17 September 2026 | annual | [Open Government Licence v3.0](https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/) |
| [FCDO workforce management information (monthly)](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6ab28d268cb3c0580e500fd1/FCDO_workforce_management_information_August_2026.csv) | Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office | — | annual | [Open Government Licence v3.0](https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/) |





Each source's figures are used under the licence shown. Our own words, analysis, charts and derived calculations
are ours, under [CC BY 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

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Published by [Tekstak Ltd](https://tek-stak.co.uk). Our words, analysis, charts and derived calculations: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), credit [Tekstak Ltd](https://tek-stak.co.uk). The figures belong to the publishers listed under Sources and are used under their licences. Figures last updated 29 September 2026.