Ottawa works with the EU on foreign aid as the U.S. pulls back, minister says

The OECD says the U.S. made up 17 per cent of rich-country aid spending in 2025, down from 30 per cent a year earlier.

Secretary of State Randeep Sarai says talks with the EU, including a ministers' meeting in Dublin, focus on drawing private money and philanthropy into aid. Government funding would stay for the world's most vulnerable.

“Taxpayer dollars are very valuable. So if we can bring in the private sector along with them, the goal is eventually the private sector will invest on their own.”

— Randeep Sarai, secretary of state

And us?

Ottawa spends about 1.6 per cent of its budget on foreign aid, and a House of Commons committee wants predictable aid funding in the Nov 5 budget.