Foreign aid expenditure in OECD countries (discontinued), 2000

Preliminary figures from the OECD show that official development assistance (ODA) from OECD countries in 2000 amounted to about USD 53.7 billion, 0.22 per cent of the member countries' combined gross national income (GNI).

The level of development aid is usually measured as a percentage of gross national income (GNI), and is often used to compare countries expenditure on foreign aid. In 1970 the UN resolved that development aid should account for 0.7 of GNI. Norway, Sweden and Denmark achieved this target relatively quickly in the 1970s. In 2000, only the Netherlands and Luxembourg met the target outside the Scandinavian countries.

Decline in development aid

More than half of the OECD countries had a decline in development aid in 2000, and for the OECD as a whole, the percentage declined from 0.24 in 1999 to 0.22 of GNI in 2000. Measured in dollar (USD) the OECD-countries together had a decline in development aid at USD 2.7 billion or 4.8 per cent. In real terms, corrected for price changes, the decline was 0.4 per cent. Several countries were from year 2000 removed from the OECD development aid committee (DAC) list of ODA-eligible countries and territories. Except for this there was a slight increase in volume (0.9 per cent) from 1999 to 2000.

Japan and France had the biggest decline in USD from 1999 to 2000 with USD 1.8 and 1.5 billion respectively. An important reason for the French decline was that former recipients were removed from the list of ODA-eligible countries and territories.

Japan gives the most

With USD 13,5 billion, Japan was the biggest contributor. Japan has given the most of all the OECD countries the last 8 years. Japan had an exceptional increase in development aid in 1999, increasing from 0.28 per cent of GNP in 1998 to 0.35 per cent of GNP in 1999 in the wake of the Asian financial crises. In 2000 the Japanese aid is back at 0.28 per cent of GNI. USA was the second largest donor country by volume in 2000, with USD 10 billion, while US expenditure on development aid is only 0.10 per cent of GNP. This is the lowest level of the OECD countries.

Norway gave a smaller part of the gross national income (GNI)

Norways development aid was 0.80 per cent of GNI in 2000, while the percentage in 1999 was 0.90 of GNI. The development aid did not follow the strong increase in the gross national income (GNI) from 1999 to 2000. Besides the Norwegian kroner had a significant decline against dollar thru 1999 and 2000. If we count in Norwegian kroner and not dollar it was an increase in Norway's aid counting NOK 400 million from 1999 to 2000.

Among the OECD countries, only Denmark and The Netherlands have a higher assistance rate, with 1.06 and 0.84 per cent respectively of GNI. Sweden had a real increase in development aid at 21 per cent from 1999 to 2000 and achieved also 0.8 per cent of GNI in 2000.

United Kingdom increased development aid

United Kingdom's development aid increased with nearly 38 per cent from 1999 to 2000. France and United Kingdom have the highest ODA/GNI ratio among the G7 countries with 0.32 per cent.

Tables:

• Table 1 Official devolopment assistance.