G7 Cuts Development Aid by $48B as Summit Opens in France, June 16

The G7 summit opened in Evian, France on June 15 and runs through June 17. While leaders focus on Iran and Ukraine, civil society groups are demanding accountability on development aid. G7 nations cut aid by $48 billion between 2024 and 2025, the largest annual decline in history. The G7’s share of global development assistance fell to 69.1% in 2025, down from 75% in recent years.

Development Aid Plummets to 20-Year Low

G7 members reduced development assistance by $48 billion between 2024 and 2025, according to Oxfam adviser Jörn Kalinski. For the first time since 2012, the G7’s share of global development assistance fell to 69.1% of the worldwide total, down from around 75% in recent years. This marks a stark reversal from the 2005 G8 summit in Gleneagles, Scotland, where leaders committed a $50 billion package for Africa alone.

Mixed Cuts Across Member Nations

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development reports uneven reductions across G7 members. Poland cut development aid by 19% in 2025, while Germany reduced contributions by 17.4%. Civil society groups argue that G7 leaders must strengthen development aid to meet their responsibilities to the world’s poorest countries.

Pressure Mounts at Evian Summit

Although wars in Iran and Ukraine dominate the summit agenda, civil society organizations are holding G7 members accountable. Tens of thousands of protesters gathered in Geneva on June 15 to demand better development aid, women’s rights, and environmental protection. Swiss President Guy Parmelin met with G7 leaders at Geneva Airport to discuss development priorities and trade agreements with Brazil and Ukraine.

Global South Faces Compounding Crises

The aid cuts arrive as conflicts in Ukraine, the Middle East, and other regions destabilize developing nations. Swiss President Parmelin discussed the impact of global crises on the Global South during talks with Brazilian President Lula da Silva. Negotiations on free trade agreements between the European Free Trade Association and Mercosur countries are underway, aimed at strengthening sustainability cooperation and fighting deforestation.

Final Thoughts

G7 development aid fell $48 billion in 2025, the largest drop on record. With civil society demanding accountability at the Evian summit, leaders face pressure to reverse cuts and strengthen support for the world’s poorest nations.

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