Analysis

On a lonely orbit in a shrinking aid universe: Norway’s aid debate ducks crucial questions

News September 04, 2026 / By: Bjørn H Amland

Norway, which remains the world’s most generous donor, is in the thralls of a process of recalibrating its aid policy to make it more fit for a changing world. While the government wants to sharpen priorities and reduce the number of aid jobs at home, Norwegian NGOs recoil from suggesting where cuts should be made. Politically prestigious initiatives are, meanwhile, notably absent from the discussion.

Aukrust i Jordan Jan 2026 - Guri Solberg cropped.jpeg — “The time when some give and others receive is over for us in the West,” says Norwegian Development Minister Åsmund Aukrust. Photo from a visit to Jordan in January 2026. (Photo by Guri Solberg / Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs)

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