The Royal Institute of International Affairs

Analysis

The Royal Institute of International Affairs is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in London. It was registered in September 1962, 64 years ago. Its declared purposes cover education/training and other charitable purposes, which this site groups under education and training. It says it provides advocacy/advice/information, sponsors or undertakes research and acts as an umbrella or resource body.

In the financial year ending March 2025, The Royal Institute of International Affairs reported income of £20.2m and spending of £20.3m, spending 101% of its income. Across the 5 years on record, from March 2021 to March 2025, income fell from £24.4m to £20.2m (-17%), an average of -4.7% a year. Over the whole period it spent 94% of the income it received.

Among 21,402 England and Wales charities whose main cause is education and training and that reported income, The Royal Institute of International Affairs sits at the 99th percentile: it is one of the largest 1% in its cause. Against every charity in England and Wales with reported income it ranks in the 99th percentile. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include The United World College of the Atlantic Limited (£20.2m), Corpus Christi College Oxford (£20.2m) and Nocn (£20.1m).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from charitable activities 68%, donations and legacies 22%, trading 6.4% and investments 2.8%. Charitable activities took 89% of spending and raising funds 11%. Reserves of £4.3m would cover about 3 months of spending at that rate. It employed 182 people.

Data notes from the register: Spending has exceeded income in each of the last three reported years, so the charity has been drawing on reserves or other funds.