This is the fifth annual record in a row. Global official development assistance (ODA) reached a record $223.7 billion in 2023, according to the annual report of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) published Thursday April 11. This increase was particularly driven by the increase in aid to Ukraine and developing countries. In 2022, ODA stood at $211 billion.
Aid to war-torn Ukraine increased by 9% between 2022 and 2023, to $20 billion, including $3.2 billion in humanitarian aid. At the same time, ODA to the West Bank and Gaza Strip has also increased, with preliminary OECD estimates showing a 12% increase from 2022 to $1.4 billion. including 758 million (+ 91%) in humanitarian aid, according to the OECD.
“With slowing growth and increasing debt service, developing countries face new budgetary pressures and a growing risk of debt distress,” said OECD Secretary-General Mathias Cormannn, calling to “remain focused and determined to help the most vulnerable achieve their economic development and growth objectives”.
France, 11th donor country
In absolute value, the United States is the country having dedicated the most money to ODA in 2023: $66 billion, according to the OECD. They are followed by Germany (36.7 billion), EU institutions (27 billion), Japan (19.6), the United Kingdom and France.
But if we take into account the share of gross national income (GNI) devoted to ODA, the five most generous donor countries are Norway (1.09%), Luxembourg, Sweden, Germany and Denmark. France comes in 11th position, dedicating 0.5% of its GNI to development aid.
The French government postponed last year its objective of increasing France’s development aid to 0.7% of GNI from 2025 to 2030. A postponement that the rapporteurs special committees of the Senate Finance Committee on the finance bill for 2024 deemed it “logical, taking into account the economic and energy crisis which has been plaguing Europe since the end of 2021”. The objective of 0.7% was defined by rich countries in 1970 as part of their duty of international solidarity.
In 2021, French bilateral ODA was distributed 64.8% in the form of donations and 35.2% in the form of loans, according to the French Development Agency.