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@ISIDEWITHQuestionsForeign policyStarted 11yrs agoActive 2yrs ago

Should the government increase or decrease foreign aid spending?

Should Australia increase or decrease foreign aid spending?

In 2014 the Australian government cut the Foreign Aid Budget to $4 billion. This represented a 29% cut of the previous year’s budget of $5.6 billion. According to the treasury the funds would be redirected to Defence and national security. Proponents of aid cuts say the funds are better used for domestic programs and anti-terror efforts on behalf of the military. Opponents of the cuts argue that the current reduction is too drastic and Australia should match the higher aid spending of other developed countries like the UK.

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Answer Overview

Response rates from 443k Australia voters.

35%
Increase
47%
Decrease
28%
Increase
41%
Decrease
7%
Increase, but only for countries that have no human rights violations
4%
Decrease, until we drastically reduce our national budget deficit
2%
Decrease, and deny aid to countries that harbour or promote terrorism
0%
Decrease, and we should not give foreign aid to any countries

Historical Support

Trend of support over time for each answer from 443k Australia voters.

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Historical Importance

Trend of how important this issue is for 443k Australia voters.

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Other Popular Answers

Unique answers from Australia voters whose views went beyond the provided options.

 @4ZJVB9Wfrom South Australia  answered…6yrs6Y

Decrease, until no Australian citizen is homeless, and everyone can afford heating in winter and cooling in summer, and 3 healthy meals every day

 @B2WGS2Xanswered…1yr1Y

Increase for humanitarian aid, and only provide military aid to entities fighting a purely defensive conflict against a foreign power's encroachments on they're sovereignty. Also ensure that all entities receiving humanitarian aid are distributing it appropriately, and using it for it's intended purposes.

 @4ZWHNHPfrom South Australia  answered…6yrs6Y

Keep same, but only give aid to Pacific Islands/PNG

 @4ZMGXLPfrom New South Wales  answered…6yrs6Y

Spend less money looking for missing planes

 @BF3ZW8Danswered…6 days6D

Depends on our economic situation at the time

 @BF2K3C5answered…1wk1W

Increase, only to countries in need, Like Palestine

 @BDXV25Janswered…3wks3W

We should only give foreign aid where it benefits us.

 @BDXCVZXanswered…3wks3W

Depends on whether it’s beneficial to do so

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 @ISIDEWITHDiscuss this answer...…2yrs2Y

Do you support the government calling for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza?

Yes

▲  1.4k6 replies5 disagree

About This Data

Based on 443k responses to this question.

These results come from iSideWith's ongoing political issues survey. We collect over a million responses per day, filter out duplicate and multiple submissions, and break the results down by political party, ideology, age, state, and census demographics (income, race, education, household).

iSideWith is non-partisan — we don't advocate for any party, candidate, or position. We report what the public tells us.

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iSideWith. (2026). “Should the government increase or decrease foreign aid spending?” — Public Opinion Poll Results. Retrieved June 25, 2026, from https://australia.isidewith.com/polls/896078005

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