Canada and the OECD-DAC Aid Statistics

Net ODA from OECD-DAC countries reached US$ 146.6 billion in 2017, in current US$ terms. This represents 1.1% increase from the 2016 figures; a significantly smaller year-over-year increase than last year’s figures (an 8.9% increase). However, in real terms, net ODA from OECD-DAC countries decreased by 0.6% in 2017 from its 2016 levels.

The decrease, in real terms, of net ODA can be attributed to the lower levels of in-donor refugee costs incurred by the OECD-DAC donors in 2017.   These costs include money spent inside donor countries for settling refugees, but according to DAC reporting rules can be reported as ‘foreign aid’ (to a large extent the accounting is up to donor discretion).

From 2016 to 2017, spending on in-donor refugee costs by DAC countries decreased by 11.2%.  This decrease is surprising given the 27.5% increase in the 2015 to 2016 year-over-year comparison.  These costs now account for 9.7% of net ODA, down from 11% one year ago.  Italy and Germany led all other major donors by having 31.4% and 24.6% of their respective net ODA figures accounted for by refugee costs.  The United Kingdom is the lowest with 2.7%.

For more, please visit the OECD-DAC aid statistics page. See also, the DAC’s narrative summary.

Download our clean, summary version of the data used above. (MSExcel)

The main objective of this quick preliminary analysis is to reflect on the data from the perspective of where Canada stands relative to OECD-DAC donors.

• Canada’s aid totalled approx. US$4.09 billion in 2017, if viewed in 2016 prices and exchange rates.
• This compares with approx. US$3.93 billion in 2016
• Canada’s ODA, in real terms, increased by 4.1%, 2016 vs 2017
• Canada’s ODA/gross national income (GNI) ratio now stands at 0.26% — the same as it was in 2016.
• This puts Canada’s ODA/GNI ratio below the OECD-DAC average of approx. 0.31%.
• In net ODA volume terms, Canada now ranks as the 9th largest OECD-DAC donor – Canada’s rank has moved up two places since 2016.
• By comparison, in 2012 Canada ranked the 6^th largest OECD-DAC donor, in 2013 Canada ranked 9^th, in 2014 Canada’s rank was 10^th, and in 2015 Canada’s rank rose back to 9^th.
• Based on the ODA/GNI ratio Canada now ranks 16th among the 29 DAC members, down from 15th in 2016.
• In 2017, refugee costs composed almost 11% of Canadian ODA.

This is a preliminary analysis of headline figures, which provide only a partial sense of Canada’s wider contribution to international development.

The story behind Canada’s numbers

In 2017, refugee costs continued to increase, growing from 9.9% of net total ODA in 2016 to 10.9% of net ODA.  This is one year after Canada’s share of in-donor refugee costs to net ODA almost doubled from 5% in 2015 to 9.9% in 2016.

The OECD reports that without refugee spending, Canada’s ODA increased by 2.9% in 2017; up from a 9.3% year-over-year decrease in 2016.  Without refugee costs, Canada’s ODA/GNI would have been between 0.23% and 0.24%.