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Statistics on International Development 2008

The latest national statistics publication ‘Statistics on International Development 2007/08’ produced by the Department for International Development was published on 2nd October 2008 according to the arrangements approved by the UK Statistics Authority.

Description

The Department for International Development (DFID) has released final details of UK Official Development Assistance for calendar year 2007 in the 2008 edition of Statistics on International Development (SID). SID also reports for the first time figures for UK Gross Public Expenditure on Development (GPEX) in financial year 2007/08. The publication includes data on the volume, type, destination and purpose of UK ODA and GPEX for each of the last 5 years. The publication also contains detailed information on the DFID aid programme originally published in July 2008.

Summary

The key points from the latest publication are:

• The UK’s Gross Public Expenditure on Development (GPEX) was £6,042 million in 2007/08 down from £7,592 million in 2006/07 a decrease of £1,550 million or 20 per cent.
• The DFID aid programme accounted for £5,215 million (86%) of total GPEX in 2007/08 compared to £5,028 million (66 per cent) in the previous year.
• GPEX excluding debt relief increased to £5,967 million in 2007/08, up £389 million (7 per cent) on the 2006/07 total of £5,578 million.
• Total GPEX in Africa fell to £1,552 million in 2007/08 from £3,072 million in 2006/07, down £1,520 million (49 per cent).
• Total GPEX in Africa excluding debt relief rose to £1,543 million in 2007/08 from £1,233 million in 2006/07, up £310 million (25 per cent).

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UK Gross Public Expenditure on Development (GPEX) 2006/07 – 2007/08, £millions

• In 2007/08, £2,962 million (57 per cent) of DFID expenditure was bilateral assistance and £2,005 million (38 per cent) was multilateral assistance. The remaining £248 million (5 per cent) was spent on administration costs.
• DFIDs bilateral expenditure rose 6 per cent to £2,962 million in 2007/08 from £2,783 million in 2006/07.
• The amount of DFID bilateral assistance going to Sub-Saharan Africa rose to £1,302 million in 2007/08 from £1,186 million in 2006/07 up £115 million (10 per cent).
• DFID Bilateral assistance to Asia rose to £931 million in 2007/08 from £900 million in 2006/07.
• DFID’s total multilateral expenditure was £2,005 million 2007/08; similar to the 2006/07 figure of £2,011 million.

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UK Official Development Assistance

• The UK reported £4,921 million as Official Development Assistance (ODA) in 2007.
• The UK’s ODA/GNI ratio for 2007 was 0.36 per cent.
• ODA excluding debt relief was £4,889 million in 2007, representing 0.35% of GNI.
• Bilateral ODA decreased to £2,823 million in 2007 from £4,737 million in 2006. This represents a decrease of £1,914 million (40 per cent).
• Excluding debt relief, bilateral ODA decreased to £2,785 million in 2007 from £2,829 million in 2006. This represents a decrease of £45 million (2 per cent).
• Bilateral ODA to sub-Saharan Africa decrease to £1,176 million in 2007, from £2,933 million in 2006, a drop of £1,757 million (60 per cent).
• Excluding debt relief, bilateral ODA to sub-Saharan Africa increased by £9 million (1 per cent), from £1,139 million in 2006 to £1,147 million in 2007.

UK Official Development Assistance (ODA) 2006 – 2007, £millions

Statistics on International Development 2007/08 (704 kb)

Background notes

Official Development Assistance (ODA) is the internationally agreed classification of aid. It is defined as flows to developing countries and multilateral organisations provided by official agencies or by their executive agencies, each transaction of which meets the following tests:

• It is administered with the promotion of the economic development and welfare of developing countries as its main aim
• It is concessional in character and conveys a grant element of at least 25 per cent.

ODA figures are calculated on a calendar year basis. SID 2008 presents data for the calendar year 2007.

Gross Public Expenditure on Development (GPEX) is broadly equivalent to ODA, except it is reported on a gross basis and includes some small elements of expenditure that do not qualify as ODA. GPEX is reported on a UK financial year basis and SID 2008 presents data for financial year 2007/08.

ODA and GPEX can be reconciled as shown below.

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Reconciliation of UK ODA and GPEX for 2007/08, £millions.

1 Includes repayment of loans and sale of equity by CDC.
2 Includes aid to non-ODA eligible recipients and small elements of conflict expenditure.

The United Nations has a target stating that donors should give 0.7% of their gross national income (GNI) as ODA. The UK has agreed to reach this target by 2013.

For departmental reporting purposes a share of the full EC external assistance budget is attributed to DFID with the remainder being attributed to other UK government departments. While it is possible to make this attribution for the full EC budget, it is less straight forward to attribute EC expenditure on ODA eligible activities between departments. For this reason the UK share of EC ODA is shown separately. DFID’s contribution to the European Development FUND appear in the DFID ODA line.

Contacts

Press enquiries to DFID Press Office on 0207 023 0600.

For further information on development issues and DFID policies, please contact:

Public Enquiry Point: 0845 300 4100

E-mail: enquiry@dfid.gov.uk