What is Official Development Assistance (ODA)?

Official development assistance (ODA) is aid given by OECD-member governments that specifically targets the economic development and welfare of countries with the lowest per capita incomes. It includes humanitarian aid as well as development aid in the strict sense.

What are the different types of development aid?

Analyses of development aid often focus on ODA, as ODA is measured systematically and appears to cover most of what people regard as development aid. However, there are some significant categories of development aid that fall outside ODA, notably: private aid, remittances, aid to less-poor countries and aid from other donor states.

Does development aid work?

Economic observers have long debated the effectiveness of development aid, but recent research has found that it does, in fact, work. On the one hand, the social programs and medical assistance that result from foreign aid to developing countries can have significant positive impacts on developing communities.