WASHINGTON – Ahead of the Munich Security Conference, ONE  released new analysis highlighting that every $1 spent on development saves up to $103 in future crisis response costs.

Conflict prevention is not just the right thing to do, it’s also smart economics.  In 2023 alone, conflicts cost the global economy $19.1 trillion, more than half the entire annual GDP of the United States. That is an estimated cost of $2,380 for every person on the planet. The data, based on International Monetary Fund (IMF) research, demonstrates that development programs supporting global health security and economic growth are a smart, more cost-effective strategy to prevent conflicts, resulting in saved lives, stabilized economies, and reduced need for costly military interventions.

“The strongest investment in peace and security is development,” said Sarah Massey, Senior Director of Strategic Communications at ONE. “Development programs have long been the cornerstone of a successful foreign policy strategy, not only do they build partnerships with key allies on the ground, they save lives and help avoid costly wars and conflicts. The numbers don’t lie: investments in development save lives and money. If we are serious about global stability, then investing in development is common sense.”

Foreign assistance must be an integral part of US national security strategy, both to prevent conflict and to counter the influence of American adversaries. Authoritarian regimes around the world have celebrated the recent interruption of US foreign assistance:

• Russian political figures called it a “smart move” and “so significant it is hard to comprehend.”
• Media outlets in Iran said the US was treating its allies like “disposable tissues.”
• Where the US is stepping back, China sees an opportunity.

Strategic investments in development save lives, promote security, and help avert future costly crises. ONE urges policymakers to protect key foreign and development assistance by prioritizing programs like PEPFAR that save lives and promote peace and stability and supporting programs that promote economic growth, and policies that lower the cost of capital.