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| UK aid money: the key datasets you need to know | UK aid money: the key datasets you need to know |
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| The UK prime minister reaffirmed on Tuesday Britain's pledge to spend 0.7% of gross-national income on aid by 2013. David Cameron's statement, at the UN general assembly in New York, comes despite growing calls from members of his own party to rein in Britain's aid spending. | The UK prime minister reaffirmed on Tuesday Britain's pledge to spend 0.7% of gross-national income on aid by 2013. David Cameron's statement, at the UN general assembly in New York, comes despite growing calls from members of his own party to rein in Britain's aid spending. |
| Over the last two weeks, conservative British newspapers, including the Sunday Telegraph and the Daily Mail, have attacked the Department for International Development (DfID) for spending millions of British aid money on a group of highly profitable consultancy firms. The drama has resurrected a long-standing question, highlighted last year over UK aid to India, about whether donors should spend money on middle-income countries. | Over the last two weeks, conservative British newspapers, including the Sunday Telegraph and the Daily Mail, have attacked the Department for International Development (DfID) for spending millions of British aid money on a group of highly profitable consultancy firms. The drama has resurrected a long-standing question, highlighted last year over UK aid to India, about whether donors should spend money on middle-income countries. |
| Here are five key datasets to help understand the debates: | Here are five key datasets to help understand the debates: |
| How big is the UK aid budget? | How big is the UK aid budget? |
| Last year, the UK spent $13.7bn (£8.57bn) on official development assistance (ODA) – what the rest of us call "aid". Note that DfID, which spent £7.6bn on ODA last year isn't the only government department in charge of UK aid. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the UK Border Agency, for example, also contribute towards the 0.7% target. | Last year, the UK spent $13.7bn (£8.57bn) on official development assistance (ODA) – what the rest of us call "aid". Note that DfID, which spent £7.6bn on ODA last year isn't the only government department in charge of UK aid. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the UK Border Agency, for example, also contribute towards the 0.7% target. |
| The UK is the world's third largest donor from countries of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), following Germany ($14.5bn) and the US ($30.7bn). But as a percentage of gross national income (GNI), British aid spending was 0.56% in 2011 – far greater than the US equivalent of 0.20%. Only five OECD countries – Sweden, Norway, Luxembourg, Denmark, and the Netherlands – have already met the 0.7% commitment. | The UK is the world's third largest donor from countries of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), following Germany ($14.5bn) and the US ($30.7bn). But as a percentage of gross national income (GNI), British aid spending was 0.56% in 2011 – far greater than the US equivalent of 0.20%. Only five OECD countries – Sweden, Norway, Luxembourg, Denmark, and the Netherlands – have already met the 0.7% commitment. |
| What does this mean for the UK taxpayer? With a population of about 62.6 million, last year's £8.57bn spend works out at roughly £137 per head. | What does this mean for the UK taxpayer? With a population of about 62.6 million, last year's £8.57bn spend works out at roughly £137 per head. |
| • Get the data | • Get the data |
| Which countries get UK aid? | Which countries get UK aid? |
| Last year, DfID announced that 16 countries would no longer receive bilateral aid from Britain by 2016, as a result of the department's spending reviews. | Last year, DfID announced that 16 countries would no longer receive bilateral aid from Britain by 2016, as a result of the department's spending reviews. |
| The biggest announced increase in aid was for Somalia, with a 208% rise planned between 2010 and 2015. This was followed by Nigeria, with an increase of 116%. By 2015, Pakistan would receive the largest chunk of UK aid – £1.4bn, up 107% from 2010. | The biggest announced increase in aid was for Somalia, with a 208% rise planned between 2010 and 2015. This was followed by Nigeria, with an increase of 116%. By 2015, Pakistan would receive the largest chunk of UK aid – £1.4bn, up 107% from 2010. |
| Billions of aid are also spent through groups such as the World Bank, the EU, and UN agencies. Last year, the UK spent £5bn on bilateral aid programmes and £3.5bn on multilateral aid. Sometimes funding through international organisations is classified as bilateral aid – the distinction depends, roughly, on how much control the donor has over that money. | Billions of aid are also spent through groups such as the World Bank, the EU, and UN agencies. Last year, the UK spent £5bn on bilateral aid programmes and £3.5bn on multilateral aid. Sometimes funding through international organisations is classified as bilateral aid – the distinction depends, roughly, on how much control the donor has over that money. |
| • Get the data | • Get the data |
| Health or wealth? What are Britain's foreign aid priorities? | Health or wealth? What are Britain's foreign aid priorities? |
| Last year's aid spending reviews gave us headline figures on how UK aid would concentrate on an increasingly small pool of developing countries. But it didn't tell us exactly how money would be spent in those countries. | Last year's aid spending reviews gave us headline figures on how UK aid would concentrate on an increasingly small pool of developing countries. But it didn't tell us exactly how money would be spent in those countries. |
| To get a better sense of how British aid spending would break down over the coming years, the Guardian pulled out all the data from the country-level operational plans published by DfID, which included tables dividing budgets across the different sectors – from governance and security to education, health, water and sanitation. | To get a better sense of how British aid spending would break down over the coming years, the Guardian pulled out all the data from the country-level operational plans published by DfID, which included tables dividing budgets across the different sectors – from governance and security to education, health, water and sanitation. |
| Health and education remain among the top areas for UK bilateral aid. But within sectors, interesting trends are apparent. For example, according to the data, reproductive, maternal and newborn health will consume nearly 64% of DfID's global health funding by 2015, while the share of bilateral aid for HIV and Aids will drop from 16% in 2010-11 to less than 6% in 2014-15. | Health and education remain among the top areas for UK bilateral aid. But within sectors, interesting trends are apparent. For example, according to the data, reproductive, maternal and newborn health will consume nearly 64% of DfID's global health funding by 2015, while the share of bilateral aid for HIV and Aids will drop from 16% in 2010-11 to less than 6% in 2014-15. |
| • Read more | • Read more |
| How has UK aid spending changed over time? | How has UK aid spending changed over time? |
| The UK has a long-standing foreign aid programme. But how has the geography of UK aid spending changed over time? Last year, the Guardian pulled out all the data on UK aid spending since 1960 to follow the money trail. | The UK has a long-standing foreign aid programme. But how has the geography of UK aid spending changed over time? Last year, the Guardian pulled out all the data on UK aid spending since 1960 to follow the money trail. |
| In 1960, among the top recipients of UK aid were Cyprus and Malta. One year later, this had already changed dramatically: in 1961, Kenya and India were top recipients. India received the largest chunk of UK aid for most of the 1960s and 1970s. The turn of the new millennium saw an explosion in the number of UK aid recipients. | In 1960, among the top recipients of UK aid were Cyprus and Malta. One year later, this had already changed dramatically: in 1961, Kenya and India were top recipients. India received the largest chunk of UK aid for most of the 1960s and 1970s. The turn of the new millennium saw an explosion in the number of UK aid recipients. |
| • Get the data | • Get the data |
| • Read more | |
| The business of UK aid | The business of UK aid |
| The UK fully "untied" its aid budget in 2001, opening up its aid-funded contracts to international competition. "Buy local" campaigners hoped this move would offer developing country firms a larger share of the aid-funded business, and bring taxes, jobs and the development of local manufacturing and expertise. | The UK fully "untied" its aid budget in 2001, opening up its aid-funded contracts to international competition. "Buy local" campaigners hoped this move would offer developing country firms a larger share of the aid-funded business, and bring taxes, jobs and the development of local manufacturing and expertise. |
| But data compiled by the Guardian shows the vast majority of DfID's contracts are still going to companies based in the UK. Of nearly 120 major contracts and procurement agreements (together worth almost £750m) published on the government's contracts portal since January 2011, only nine include non-UK firms among the grantees. An Indian company, Kran Consulting, is the only firm from a developing country on the list to win a full contract. | But data compiled by the Guardian shows the vast majority of DfID's contracts are still going to companies based in the UK. Of nearly 120 major contracts and procurement agreements (together worth almost £750m) published on the government's contracts portal since January 2011, only nine include non-UK firms among the grantees. An Indian company, Kran Consulting, is the only firm from a developing country on the list to win a full contract. |
| Earlier this month, the shadow development secretary Ivan Lewis pressed the department for details on how much UK aid has been spent in the private sector. This would go above and beyond UK aid spending through consultants. In a written response, the international development secretary, Justine Greening, said the department didn't hold this information centrally and it "could be obtained only at disproportionate cost". | Earlier this month, the shadow development secretary Ivan Lewis pressed the department for details on how much UK aid has been spent in the private sector. This would go above and beyond UK aid spending through consultants. In a written response, the international development secretary, Justine Greening, said the department didn't hold this information centrally and it "could be obtained only at disproportionate cost". |
| • Read more | • Read more |
| More data | More data |
| More data journalism and data visualisations from the Guardian | More data journalism and data visualisations from the Guardian |
| World government data | World government data |
| • Search the world's government data with our gateway | • Search the world's government data with our gateway |
| Development and aid data | Development and aid data |
| • Search the world's global development data with our gateway | • Search the world's global development data with our gateway |
| Can you do something with this data? | Can you do something with this data? |
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