Following the release of the preliminary statistics covering Official Development Assistance in 2023, the DAC Civil Society Reference Group expresses major concerns about the underlying trends reflected in the figures, and calls for a serious conversation about establishing a more inclusive and representative governance of ODA.

• New figures published today by the OECD show that hosting refugees in donor countries accounts for more than US$31 billion (equivalent to 13.8 per cent of total ODA)
• Despite a small rise in ODA across all wealthy countries in 2023, in the EU aid fell by a shocking 7.7 per cent, with only a few members reporting increases

The new figures released by the OECD Development Assistance Committee (DAC) show that while total reported ODA rose to an all time high, the percentage of ODA spent in donor countries also increased. This is hugely problematic.

Official Development Assistance (ODA or aid) reached a new all-time-high of US$204 billion in 2022, but behind the headline figures the data shows even higher inflation of ODA than witnessed in 2021. It is vital to make sure that the integrity of ODA is preserved to serve the needs of people across the global south rather than the interests of countries in the global north.

Despite a seeming increase total official development assistance, Eurodad's Nerea Craviotto warns that today's figures are nothing to celebrate. The current levels of ODA do not meet the challenges the world is facing, and are a long way off meeting the 0.7% of GNI target.  

The new Chair of the OECD’s Development Assistance Committee (DAC) is Denmark’s Carsten Staur – an experienced former Minister for International Development Co-operation – who will start his role in March 2023. In a world of overlapping crises, the stakes are too high to fail.

More than two years on from the outbreak of Covid-19, developing countries still have a long way to go to control the pandemic and its effects. Although in 2021 ODA reached a new all-time-high of US$178.9 billion, this is still insufficient to meet the mid-term and long-term challenges ahead of 2030 and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. Furthermore, in relative terms ODA remained at 0.33 per cent – far from the 0.7 per cent international commitment.

This statement was first published by the DAC-CSO Reference Group.

• Donations of excess vaccines, in-country refugee costs, the use of private sector instruments and debt relief continues to inflate aid figures
• 40 CSOs across the world issue a joint statement calling for more and better-quality ODA

In this joint statement, 77 civil society organisations across the world, including Eurodad, call current ODA levels 'economically unwise and morally flawed' given the current pandemic and interconnected crises, including climate change, conflict, fragility, and rising poverty and inequalities.