Data from 2001, shows foreign aid has remained stable in recent years, however, the United States surpassed Japan to become the world’s largest aid donor for the first time since 1992, providing $10.9 billion or 0.11 percent of its gross national income (GNI).
Where does U.S. aid go?
In 2000, the U.S. provided $12.5 billion in official development assistance and official aid combined. Russia, Israel, and Egypt together received almost a quarter of this money. In 1980 and 1990, almost half of U.S. foreign aid went to the Middle East and North Africa.
In recent years, however, U.S. aid has been spread much more widely over geographical regions. Fifty-four percent of U.S. aid reached lower middle-income countries, while 44 percent reached low income and least developed countries.
Source: Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, Recent Trends in Foreign Aid, OECD in Washington, No. 36, October-November 2002.
For more information on the OECD http://www.oecd.org/dac
For more on Foreign Aid http://www.ncpa.org/iss/bud
FMF Policy Bulletin/15 January 2003
