PB13 Aid’s new contours: an exploration of global aid flows in 2014

Development Policy Centre Policy Brief No. 13

By Robin Davies

April 2016

The record global aid spending outcome in 2014 was a solid achievement for OECD countries, not much assisted by the inclusion of contested flows such as onshore refugee costs. However, half of OECD aid came from just three leading donors. Aid to poor countries fell in 2014, in part because the share of aid attributed to specific countries is declining, but remained close to its five-year average. Measured non-OECD aid increased by more than half and total non-OECD aid might now be as high as $30 billion per annum. Consequently, total aid available to developing countries increased by around 20% over the period 2013-14. Economic infrastructure is accounting for an increasing share of aid. General budget support has collapsed.

Davies, R. 2016, ‘Aid’s new contours: an exploration of global aid flows in 2014’, Policy Brief No. 13, Development Policy Centre, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University, Canberra.

Ashlee Betteridge

Ashlee Betteridge was the Manager of the Development Policy Centre until April 2021. She was previously a Research Officer at the centre from 2013-2017. A former journalist, she holds a Master of Public Policy (Development Policy) from ANU and has development experience in Indonesia and Timor-Leste. She now has her own consultancy, Better Things Consulting, and works across several large projects with managing contractors.