Changes to Official Development Assistance in 2024

The OECD’s Development Assistance Committee (DAC) defines official development assistance (ODA) as “government aid that promotes and specifically targets the economic development and welfare of developing countries.” ODA data are published by the OECD twice a year, in spring (preliminary report) and autumn (final report). The preliminary report provides an overview of ODA, excluding information on sectors of intervention and geographical location. The final report presents definitive data, including a detailed breakdown by sector and by country.

In 2024, Luxembourg’s ODA amounted to €551.71 million, representing 1.00% of gross national income (GNI). Luxembourg is therefore still one of the small number of OECD members – alongside Norway (1.02%), Sweden (0.79%) and Denmark (0.71%) – to have maintained its ODA at 0.7% of GNI or above. In absolute terms, the US remains the most generous donor, followed by Germany, the United Kingdom and Japan.

At the international level, ODA from DAC member countries decreased in 2024 for the first time after five consecutive years of growth, registering a 7.1% drop in real terms compared to 2023. Total ODA reached USD 212.1 billion, equivalent to 0.33% of the combined gross national income (GNI) of OECD Development Assistance Committee members. The decrease is partly due to higher contributions in 2023 to the World Bank’s International Development Association and to the IMF’s Resilience and Sustainability funds. Bilateral aid from DAC member countries also fell by 5.8%, due to several factors: a decline in aid to Ukraine, reduced humanitarian aid as well as lower costs associated with hosting refugees in donor countries.