United Kingdom · Education
THE BRITISH COUNCIL
British Council
British organisation specialising in international cultural and educational opportunities
The British Council creates friendly knowledge and understanding between the people of the UK and other countries. We do this by making a positive contribution to the UK and the countries we work with. We reach millions of people across the world, working with over 100 countries in the fields of arts and culture, English language, education and civil society.
- Founded
- 1934
- Income 2025
- £1B
- Public funds 2025
- 24%
Accounts
Income Expenditure
Source: Charity Commission (England & Wales) — official register
Where the money comes from (2025)
Public funds 24% (£242.1M) · Other income 76%
Public funds: grants and contracts from government bodies as declared to the Charity Commission. Other income includes donations, legacies, trading and investments. Many organisations record funds from UN agencies and the European Union as income from charitable activities: in that case the public share is underestimated.
Data table
| Year | Income | Expenditure | Public funds | Staff | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-03-31 | £1B | £1.1B | 24% | 9,446 | Charity Commission (England & Wales) |
| 2024-03-31 | £989.3M | £1.1B | 22% | 9,490 | Charity Commission (England & Wales) |
| 2023-03-31 | £873.3M | £925.2M | 24% | 9,209 | Charity Commission (England & Wales) |
| 2022-03-31 | £896.7M | £942.3M | 31% | 9,861 | Charity Commission (England & Wales) |
| 2021-03-31 | £925M | £1B | 23% | 11,131 | Charity Commission (England & Wales) |
Public funds from donor governments
Payments by donor in the last 5 years
| Donor | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FCDO (United Kingdom) | €132.9M | €214.3M | €96.7M | €83.6M | €88.8M |
| BZ (Netherlands) | – | €20,000 | €27,000 | €23,300 | – |
Payments to the organisation reported by the aid agencies of 17 countries (USAID, FCDO, BMZ, Sida and others) in their own IATI data, converted to euros at the year's average rate. They include funds passed on to local partners. Not all donors name the recipient of their payments, so figures may be incomplete; EU funds are in their own section.
Countries declared
United Arab Emirates · Afghanistan · Albania · Armenia · Argentina · Austria · Australia · Azerbaijan · Bosnia & Herzegovina · Bangladesh · Belgium · Bulgaria · Bahrain · Brunei · Brazil · Botswana · Canada · Congo - Kinshasa · Switzerland · Chile · Cameroon · China · Colombia · Cuba · Cyprus · Czechia · Germany · Denmark · Algeria · Estonia · Egypt · Spain · Ethiopia · Finland · France · Georgia · Ghana · Greece · Hong Kong SAR China · Croatia · Hungary · Indonesia · Ireland · Israel · India · Iraq · Iran · Italy · Jamaica · Jordan · Japan · Kenya · South Korea · Kuwait · Kazakhstan · Lebanon · Sri Lanka · Lithuania · Latvia · Libya · Morocco · Montenegro · North Macedonia · Myanmar (Burma) · Malta · Mauritius · Malawi · Mexico · Malaysia · Mozambique · Namibia · Nigeria · Netherlands · Norway · Nepal · New Zealand · Oman · Peru · Philippines · Pakistan · Poland · Palestinian Territories · Portugal · Qatar · Romania · Serbia · Russia · Rwanda · Saudi Arabia · Sudan · Sweden · Singapore · Slovenia · Slovakia · Sierra Leone · Senegal · South Sudan · Syria · Thailand · Tunisia · Türkiye · Trinidad & Tobago · Taiwan · Tanzania · Ukraine · Uganda · United States · Uruguay · Uzbekistan · Venezuela · Vietnam · Kosovo · Yemen · South Africa · Zambia · Zimbabwe
Official checks
- Public register
- Charity Commission — active registration
- Latest accounts filed
- 2025 (Charity Commission (England & Wales))
Facts from public registers and certification bodies, not a judgement on the organisation; the absence of a label is not a negative sign. Methodology
Timeline
- Founded
- Registered as a charity
Identifiers
EU-TR 17888758870-92 · Charity Commission · Wikidata