REACTION: OECD global aid statistics

"The overall fall in aid globally is a worrying trend which risks exacerbating poverty and inequality worldwide. Cutting aid to the poorest and most vulnerable countries is a step backwards in the fight to end extreme poverty.

“With refugee numbers at their highest since the Second World War, disasters like Cyclone Idai devastating lives and food crises looming in Yemen and elsewhere, the fall in humanitarian aid is particularly alarming. Vulnerable people across the world rely on this essential lifeline when disaster hits.

“As one of the five countries which have met their aid promises, the UK’s continued commitment to the world’s poorest people is more important than ever, when others are cutting their budgets. Britain continues to lead the way in helping developing countries face global challenges from conflict to climate change.”

ENDS

Notes to editors

The 2018 aid figures are available on the OECD website.

The new OECD data shows that overall aid spending from 30 OECD members totalled USD 153 billion in 2018. This was a 2.7 percent decrease from 2017, in part due to less money being spent on hosting refugees in donor countries. Rich countries committed 0.31 percent of their gross national income (GNI) to development aid, which has not changed since 2017.

In 2018, five countries – Sweden, Norway, the UK, Luxembourg and Denmark – met or exceeded the 0.7 percent aid target.

The proportion of aid spent in the 47 poorest countries of the world was down by 2.7 percent.

Oxfam’s paper Hitting the Target: An agenda for aid in times of extreme inequality– published on 8 April – can be found here: http://bit.ly/2CYWH6v