“Deaths in Africa Decreased”- Elon Musk Defends U.S. Aid Cuts, Says Africa Benefited Instead of Suffering

• Elon Musk has ignited fresh controversy after claiming that deaths in Africa decreased following major cuts to U.S. foreign aid, arguing that the reductions prevented funding from being used to support violent political movements.
• His comments have been met with contrasting views, as humanitarian organisations and health experts continue to warn that reduced aid could result in millions of additional deaths worldwide over the coming years.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has sparked widespread debate after claiming that deaths across Africa declined following significant cuts to United States foreign aid, arguing that the reductions reduced instability rather than worsened humanitarian conditions.

Musk made the remarks on Tuesday while defending the cost-cutting measures of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which supported deep reductions in funding for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

According to Refugees International, U.S. humanitarian assistance fell from $14 billion in 2024 to $3.7 billion in 2025, while the Center for Global Development estimated that USAID spending declined by about 58 percent during the same period.

Despite concerns raised by humanitarian organisations, Musk insisted that available mortality data did not support predictions that the funding cuts would lead to more deaths.

“Deaths in Africa decreased after USAID funding was cut, because they’re no longer able to push for violent revolution to install leftist regimes!” he wrote on X while sharing an analysis based on South African mortality data.

The analysis referenced weekly death figures from January 2023 to May 2026, claiming excess deaths remained close to zero and below projected levels following the aid reductions. It also cited a 2019 study that questioned whether increased foreign aid significantly improves life expectancy or reduces mortality in developing countries.

However, public health experts have continued to express concern over the funding cuts. A study published in The Lancet in July 2025 estimated that reduced international aid could contribute to more than 14 million deaths globally by 2030, including over 4.5 million children.

Musk has consistently defended the aid reductions, maintaining that they were necessary to eliminate waste, corruption, and misuse of taxpayer funds.