Global aid flows fell sharply in 2024, marking the first decline in official development assistance, or ODA, from major donor countries in half a decade, according to preliminary figures released by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development on Wednesday.
Member countries of the Development Assistance Committee, or DAC, contributed a combined $212.1 billion in ODA last year, representing 0.33% of their collective gross national income. But that total reflects a 7.1% drop in real terms compared to 2023, and ends a streak of steady growth.
The downturn comes amid what experts describe as a recalibration of donor priorities, driven by a sharp decline in funds earmarked for Ukraine, a significant drop in refugee-related costs within donor countries, and reduced humanitarian spending overall.
About the author
Jesse Chase-Lubitz
Jesse Chase-Lubitz covers climate change and multilateral development banks for Devex. She previously worked at Nature Magazine, where she received a Pulitzer grant for an investigation into land reclamation. She has written for outlets such as Al Jazeera, Bloomberg, the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project, and The Japan Times, among others. Jesse holds a master’s degree in Environmental Policy and Regulation from the London School of Economics.
