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BudgetLines

Your guide to 25+ years of Australian international budgets.

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BudgetLines

BudgetLines.

All of Australia’s international affairs budgets since 1999 in one place for the first time.

What do the numbers tell us?

For more than a quarter-century, Australia has spent approximately 9% of the total budget on international affairs. This year it is 9.54%.

The 2026-2027 budget breakdown (nominal):

Total Federal Budget: $798b‍
Defence: $62.6b
Official Development Assistance (ODA): $5.21b
Diplomacy: $3.96b
National Intelligence Community (NIC): $2.18b
International Policing (AFP): $2.24b
Total international affairs: $76.18b
Explore the interactive graphs below to see how policy areas have changed over time.

Over 25+ years, levels of budget growth have varied significantly.

Australia's Portfolio Budget Statements show the following growth comparisons between arms of statecraft between 2026-27 and 1999–00.

And the distribution of this funding has varied between different arms of statecraft.

Read the analysis:

This year:

2026 budget breakdown

Read this year's analysis.

In context:

Balancing Act analysis

25 years of Australia's international budgets.

Related data:

Further analysis and commentary

Read additional analysis and commentary.

About the data:

Methodology

Find out more about the data behind the analysis.
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