The Future of Aid and International Cooperation: Insights from the UK and Global Audiences (2026)

In light of the UK aid cuts, the government now has an opportunity to build a compelling, coherent and ambitious vision for international cooperation — one that is fit for purpose for the challenges of today. This system must have global public goods at its heart: poverty and inequality reduction, health, climate action, economic prosperity and security. It must centre children’s survival and wellbeing as fundamental building blocks, prioritising the fiscal space of low-income countries to invest in their own development.

In order to build the public legitimacy needed to sustain this system, Save the Children have worked with Public First, Rootcause and More in Common to build a clearer picture of what people think about aid and international cooperation. The polling and insights of other organisations, including the British Foreign Policy Journal, The Rockefeller Foundation, Focaldata and the Edelman Trust have been reviewed to supplement these insights.