Australia’s contributions to the Asian Development Fund
The Asian Development Bank (ADB)’s Asian Development Fund (ADF) is the oldest and largest of their special funds. It is a multilateral source of concessional assistance, designed to provide loans on concessional terms and grants to ADB’s developing member countries that have low incomes per capita and limited or low creditworthiness. The fund supports activities that promote poverty reduction and improvements in the quality of life in the poorer countries of the Asia and the Pacific. (More details available on ADB’s website)
The ADB holds regular pledging rounds to replenish the ADF, typically every three years.
In the most recent replenishment, for the period 2021-2024, Australia pledged $423 million, making it the second largest donor to the ADF, behind Japan. Australia’s ‘burden share’ (share of the total ADF pledges) was 10.28 per cent, while Japan’s was 35 per cent.
The 2021-2024 replenishment attracted US$4.06 billion while the 2017-2020 replenishment attracted $3.78 billion in commitments.
The replenishment for the period 2013-2016 and gathered US $12.4 billion in commitments. It was finalised in 2012. Australia pledged $629 million over the three years, again the second largest donor behind Japan. Australia’s burden share was 9%.
In 2009-2012 replenishment, Australia’s contribution was $333 million, with a burden share of 6.5% – making it the third largest contributor behind Japan and the US.
The chart below shows Australia’s contributions and pledges since 2001.