- Policy
- ODA allocation overview
- ODA to and through the multilateral system
- Bilateral ODA
- Geographic, sectoral and thematic focus of ODA
- Private sector instruments
- Mobilised private finance
- Total Official Support for Sustainable Development
- Institutional set-up
- Quality and oversight
- Other profiles
- Additional resources
Development Co‑operation Profiles: Portugal
Table of contents
Portugal’s development co-operation is focused on providing expertise to Portuguese-speaking countries in Africa and Timor-Leste. Portugal is a strong advocate for triangular development co-operation. Portugal’s official development assistance (ODA) is provided as a core contribution to multilateral organisations, with the largest share going to European Union (EU) institutions. Portugal’s total official development assistance (ODA) increased in 2024 to USD 669.1 million (preliminary data), representing 0.24% of gross national income (GNI).
This profile presents verified data on development assistance allocation. See the Development Co-operation Profiles.
The 2030 Portuguese Co-operation Strategy (English summary here) continues the focus on co-operation with Portuguese-speaking countries, building on the linguistic links between Portugal and these countries. Key thematic priorities are human development, governance, and climate and the environment, with gender equality as a cross-cutting priority. Through its peer-to-peer links, Portugal’s bilateral co-operation mainly aims to strengthen institutional capacity in its partner countries. Multiannual country strategies are jointly agreed upon with partners at a high level and cover all forms of co-operation with the Portuguese government. The strategy also encompasses humanitarian assistance and development education.
In multilateral co-operation, the European Union is Portugal’s main partner. Portugal advocates, in particular, for the EU partnership with Africa. It is closely engaged with the Community of Portuguese Language Countries and is active in partnerships with Ibero-America. Portugal plays a leadership role for triangular co-operation (also regularly hosting international conferences), where it is increasingly promoting triangular cooperation projects with Latin American and African countries. Other important priorities include LDCs, SIDS and protection of the ocean. The 2030 co‑operation strategy emphasises leveraging Portugal’s added value to collectively address global development challenges. Portugal is preparing a National Roadmap for Sustainable Development 2030 with the aim to better link different policy areas. In 2023, Portugal agreed on debt-for-climate swaps with Cabo Verde and Sao Tome and Principe.
The 2022 OECD-DAC Peer Review praised Portugal for mobilising its whole-of-government expertise and its strong focus on partner country ownership. It also highlighted its effective international advocacy, notably on triangular co-operation and EU collaboration during its Presidency of the European Council. The review found that Portugal can make more out of its “decentralised” system of numerous institutions engaging in co-operation. It recommended improving co-ordination across government, pulling bilateral efforts together, focusing more on outcomes and taking action to increase ODA. Portugal submitted an internal management response to the review’s recommendations. The Peer Review found that Portugal had fully or partially implemented 16 of the 19 recommendations of the 2016 Peer Review. Portugal’s mid‑term review is planned for 2025. Discover insights from Portugal’s 2022 Peer Review and learn from Portugal’s practices in Development Co-operation Tools Insights Practices (TIPs).
Portugal provided USD 669.1 (preliminary data) of ODA in 2024 (USD 641.8 million in constant terms) representing 0.24% of GNI.1 This was an increase of 21.3% in real terms in volume and an increase in the share of GNI from 2023. As in 2022, 2024 shows an increase in ODA in both volume and as a share of GNI, maintaining the upward trend and staying above 0.2%. Portugal is not yet in line with its domestic and EU commitments to achieve a 0.7% ODA/GNI ratio by 2030. Within Portugal’s ODA portfolio in 2023, 98.7% was provided in the form of grants and 1.3% in the form of non-grants.2
Portugal ranks 21st among Development Assistance Committee (DAC) member countries when ODA is taken as a share of GNI. In 2023, among DAC countries, Portugal allocated the highest share of gross bilateral ODA to Africa (69.5%) and the highest share allocated to fragile contexts (59.2%).
Portugal has committed to several international targets and DAC standards and recommendations. Learn more about DAC Recommendations.
Note: This table only includes information about ODA data-related DAC Recommendations. ODA: official development assistance; GNI: gross national income; DAC: Development Assistance Committee.
Portugal provided a roughly equal of its ODA multilaterally in 2023. Gross bilateral ODA was 47.2% of total ODA disbursements. Eleven per cent of gross bilateral ODA was channelled through multilateral organisations (earmarked contributions).
In 2023, Portugal provided USD 342.5 million of gross ODA to the multilateral system, a fall of 7.4% in real terms from 2022. Of this, USD 312.3 million was core multilateral ODA (52.8% of total ODA), while USD 30.3 million was non-core contributions earmarked for a specific country, region, theme or purpose. Project-type funding earmarked for a specific theme and/or country accounted for 16.9% of Portugal’s non‑core contributions and 83.1% was programmatic funding (to pooled funds and specific-purpose programmes and funds).
The UN system received 13.2% of Portugal’s contributions to multilateral organisations, of which USD 22.3 million (49.6%) represented earmarked contributions. Out of a total volume of USD 45.1 million to the UN system, the top three UN recipients of Portugal’s support (core and earmarked contributions) were UNOCHA (USD 6.9 million), UN Secretariat (USD 6.6 million) and WFP (USD 5.6 million).
See the section on Geographic, sectoral and thematic focus of ODA for the breakdown of bilateral allocations, including ODA earmarked through the multilateral development system.
Learn more by exploring the dashboard on DAC members’ use of the multilateral system.
In 2023, Portugal’s bilateral spending declined compared to the previous year. It provided USD 278.8 million of gross bilateral ODA (which includes earmarked contributions to multilateral organisations). This represented a decrease of 1% in real terms from 2022.
In 2023, country programmable aid amounted to USD 139.8 million, or 50.2% of Portugal’s gross bilateral ODA, compared to the DAC country average of 43.1%. Portugal reports less than 5% of ODA as in-donor refugee costs. This was a decrease of 41.6% in real terms over 2022.
Portugal disbursed USD 1.3 million for triangular co-operation in 2023. Its regional priority is Africa, with a focus on agriculture, forestry, fishing. Learn more about triangular co-operation and Portugal’s approach in promoting it.
In 2023, Portugal channelled its bilateral ODA mainly through public sector. Technical co-operation made up 13.7% of gross ODA in 2023.
In 2023, civil society organisations (CSOs) received USD 23.5 million of gross bilateral ODA, of which 22.8% was directed to developing country-based CSOs. Overall, almost no gross bilateral ODA was allocated to CSOs as core contributions and 8.4% was channelled through CSOs to implement projects initiated by the donor (earmarked funding). From 2022 to 2023, the combined core and earmarked contributions for CSOs increased as a share of bilateral ODA, from 4.7% to 8.4%. Learn more about the DAC Recommendation on Enabling Civil Society in Development Co-operation and Humanitarian Aid.
In 2023, Portugal’s bilateral ODA primarily focused on countries in Africa. USD 193.9 million was allocated to countries in Africa and USD 17.5 million to Asia (excluding the Middle East), accounting respectively for 69.5% and 6.3% of gross bilateral ODA. USD 16.4 million was allocated to Latin America and the Caribbean. Europe was also the main regional recipient of Portugal’s earmarked contributions to multilateral organisations. These allocations are in line with Portugal’s geographical focus and policy priorities.
In 2023, 81.1% of gross bilateral ODA went to Portugal’s top 10 recipients. Its top 10 recipients are mostly Portuguese-speaking countries in Africa and Timor-Leste, in line with its policy priorities. The share of gross bilateral ODA not allocated by country was 13.5%, of which 24.3% consisted of expenditures for processing and hosting refugees in provider countries.
In 2023, Portugal allocated 0.04% of its GNI to the least developed countries (LDCs). Portugal allocated the highest share of gross bilateral ODA (63.3%) to least developed countries in 2023, noting that 13.5% was unallocated by income group. Additionally, Portugal allocated 0.8% of gross bilateral ODA to land-locked developing countries in 2023, equal to USD 2.2 million. Portugal allocated 24.4% of gross bilateral ODA to small island developing states (SIDS) in 2023, equal to USD 68 million.
Looking at the distribution of Portugal’s ODA in relation to “ODA per person in extreme poverty”,3 the amount was USD 0.2 per person in LDCs, USD 0.3 in LMICs and USD 0.8 in UMICs.
In 2024, Portugal provided USD 5.1 million of net bilateral ODA to Ukraine to respond to the impacts of Russia’s full-scale invasion, a 36.6% decrease from 2023 in real terms. USD 3.3 million of the amount was humanitarian assistance in 2024, a 46.5% decrease from 2023.
Support to contexts with high and extreme fragility was USD 165.1 million in 2023, representing 59.2% of Portugal’s gross bilateral ODA. Six per cent of this ODA was provided in the form of humanitarian assistance, an increase from 0.4% in 2022, while 3.8% was allocated to peace, a decrease from 4.5% in 2022. Two per cent of gross bilateral ODA went to conflict prevention, a subset of contributions to peace, representing a decrease from 3.1% in 2022. Learn more about the OECD States of Fragility platform.
In 2023, more than half of Portugal’s bilateral ODA was allocated to social infrastructure and services. Investments in this area accounted for 69% of bilateral ODA commitments (USD 155 million), with a strong focus on support to education (USD 67.9 million), other social infrastructure and services (USD 52.2 million), and health and population (USD 13.1 million). ODA for other macro sectors totalled USD 32.2 million, with a focus on administrative costs of donors (USD 10.5 million). Humanitarian assistance amounted to USD 19 million (8.5% of bilateral ODA). Earmarked contributions to multilateral organisations also focused on social sectors and other macro sectors in 2023.
In the period 2022-23, Portugal committed 29.9% of screened bilateral allocable ODA to gender equality and women’s empowerment, compared to 38.8% in 2020-21,4 and a 2022-23 DAC average of 45.8%. This is equal to USD 53.1 million of screened bilateral allocable ODA in support of gender equality on average per year. In addition:
The share of screened bilateral allocable ODA committed to gender equality and women’s empowerment as a principal objective was 1.6% in 2022-23, compared with the DAC average of 4%.
Portugal includes gender equality objectives in 0.9% of ODA for humanitarian aid, below the 2022‑23 DAC average of 19.1%.
Portugal screens the majority of bilateral allocable ODA activities against the DAC gender equality policy marker (99.4% in 2022-23).
Portugal committed USD 0.1 million of ODA to end violence against women and girls and USD 0.7million to support women’s rights organisations and movements, and government institutions on average in 2022-23.
Learn more about the DAC Recommendation on Gender Equality and the Empowerment of All Women and Girls in Development Co-operation and Humanitarian Assistance and the DAC Recommendation on Ending Sexual Exploitation in Development Co-operation, and by exploring the dashboard on DAC members’ development finance for gender equality.
In 2022-23, Portugal committed 9.4% of its total bilateral allocable ODA (USD 16.8 million) in support of the environment and the Rio Conventions, up from 8.2% in 2020-21. The DAC average was 39% in 2022-23. In addition:
Four per cent of screened bilateral allocable ODA focused on environmental issues as a principal objective, compared with the DAC average of 9.6%.
Four per cent of total bilateral allocable ODA (USD 7.7 million) focused on climate change overall, up from 2.3% in 2020-21 (the DAC average was 34.8%). Portugal had a greater focus on mitigation (2.9%) than on adaptation (2.8%) in 2022-23.
Two per cent of screened bilateral allocable ODA (USD 3.9 million) focused on biodiversity overall, up from 1.7% in 2020-21 (the DAC average was 7.6%).
Learn more about the DAC Declaration on Aligning Development Co-operation with the Goals of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change.
Note: Individual Rio Markers should not be added up as this can result in double counting.
The OECD’s tracking of ODA for the sustainable ocean economy shows that Portugal committed USD 4.6 million in support of the conservation and sustainable use of the ocean in 2023, USD 3.8 million more than in 2022. The 2023 value is equivalent to 2.4% of Portugal’s bilateral allocable ODA.
In 2023, Portugal:
Allocated 6.9% of its bilateral ODA (USD 19.3 million) to core poverty-reducing sectors as defined by Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 1.a.1. This indicator captures grants to basic social services (basic health and education, water supply and sanitation, multisector aid for basic social services) and development food aid. In addition, 0.4% of bilateral ODA (USD 1.2 million) went to social protection support.
Committed USD 3.9 million (2% of its bilateral allocable ODA) to address the immediate or underlying determinants of malnutrition in developing countries across a variety of sectors, such as other social infrastructure and services, agriculture, forestry, fishing, and health.
Committed USD 1.7 million (0.9% of its bilateral allocable ODA) to development co-operation projects and programmes that promote the inclusion and empowerment of persons with disabilities.
Committed USD 9.7 million (5% of its bilateral allocable ODA) to promote aid for trade and improve developing countries’ trade performance and integration into the world economy in 2023.
To build markets in developing countries and incentivise greater mobilisation of private resources for development, many providers, including Portugal, have established development finance institutions (DFIs) and similar vehicles that extend private sector instruments (PSI). The Society for Development Finance (SOFID) and the Portuguese Investment Support Fund in Mozambique (Investimoz) were assessed as ODA-eligible PSI vehicles.
In 2023, Portugal’s SOFID extended USD 1.1 million in the form of loans to the private sector in developing countries.5
In 2023, LMICs received the totally of SOFID’s disbursements to the private sector in developing countries. Portugal’s PSI exclusively supported projects in the transport and storage sector.
Portugal uses leveraging mechanisms to mobilise private finance for sustainable development. In 2023, Portugal’s Camões-Institute for Cooperation and Language and Portuguese Government mobilised USD 0.2 million from the private sector through simple co-financing. This constituted a significant decrease compared to 2022.
Private finance mobilised by Portugal in 2022-23 mainly targeted middle-income countries, representing 7.4% of its total mobilised. Only 44.8% of total mobilised private finance during this period benefited the LDCs and other low-income countries (LICs), noting that 47.8% was unallocated by income.
Mobilised private finance by Portugal in 2022-23 related mainly to activities in other social infrastructure and services (51.2%), as its top sector. Furthermore, over this period, 6.4% of Portugal’s total mobilised private finance was for climate action.
Total Official Support for Sustainable Development (TOSSD) is an international statistical standard that monitors and increases transparency of all official and officially supported resources for financing the SDGs in developing countries, as well as for addressing global challenges. In 2023, activities reported by Portugal as TOSSD totalled USD 609.1 million, down from USD 676.1 million in 2022. Portugal’s TOSSD activities mostly targeted SDG 1 (no poverty), SDG 17 (partnerships for the Goals) and SDG 4 (quality education). Activity-level data on TOSSD by recipient are available at: https://tossd.online.
Portugal describes its development co-operation system as “decentralised”, reflecting the engagement of many ministries, public and non-governmental institutions. The development co-operation agency Camões I.P. (also responsible for language and culture promotion) is responsible for the overall co‑ordination of Portuguese co-operation. Together with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Finance, it also leads engagement with the European Union and multilateral organisations. It directly implements some bilateral programmes and delegated co-operation on behalf of the European Union. Camões I.P.-led co‑operation centres in key partner countries co-ordinate co-operation and are gradually gaining greater decision-making authority.
Around 400 staff work on development co-operation in the Portuguese system, around half of which are in Camões I.P. and 80 abroad.
The main mechanism for consulting stakeholders is the Development Co-operation Forum, which in addition to an annual meeting, plans to establish thematic working groups. CSOs active in development co-operation, humanitarian assistance and global citizenship education co-ordinate through the umbrella body Plataforma Portuguesa das Organizações Não-Governamentais para o Desenvolvimento.
Internal systems and processes help ensure the effective delivery of Portugal’s development co-operation. Select features are shown in the table below.
Access the full list of providers at this link: Development Co-operation Profiles.
2022 OECD-DAC Peer Review of Portugal: https://doi.org/10.1787/550fb40e-en
Camões – Instituto da Cooperação e da Língua, IP: https://www.instituto-camoes.pt/en
Sociedade para o Financiamento do Desenvolvimento (SOFID), Portugal’s development finance institution: www.sofid.pt
CSO umbrella organisation Plataforma: https://www.plataformaongd.pt/english
Portugal has been a member of the OECD Development Assistance Committee (DAC) since 1960/1991.
The methodological notes provide further details on the definitions and statistical methodologies applied, including the grant-equivalent methodology, core and earmarked contributions to multilateral organisations, country programmable aid, channels of delivery, bilateral ODA unspecified/unallocated, bilateral allocable ODA, the gender equality policy marker, and the environment markers.
This work is published under the responsibility of the Secretary-General of the OECD. The opinions expressed and arguments employed herein do not necessarily reflect the official views of the Member countries of the OECD.
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The statistical data for Israel are supplied by and under the responsibility of the relevant Israeli authorities. The use of such data by the OECD is without prejudice to the status of the Golan Heights, East Jerusalem and Israeli settlements in the West Bank under the terms of international law.
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← 1. DAC members adopted the grant-equivalent methodology starting from their reporting of 2018 data as a more accurate way to count the donor effort in development loans. See the methodological notes for further details.
← 2. Non-grants include sovereign loans, multilateral loans, equity investment and loans to the private sector.
← 3. Aid per person in extreme poverty is calculated by dividing net ODA (bilateral and imputed multilateral) by the population in extreme poverty in each country. Group averages are calculated based on a weighted average of aid per person in extreme poverty and the number of people in extreme poverty for each country in the group. For more information on this indicator, please see here.
← 4. The use of the recommended minimum criteria for the marker by some members in recent years can result in lower levels of ODA reported as being focused on gender equality.
← 5. In 2023, the DAC agreed on revised reporting methods for measuring PSI in ODA based on ODA grant equivalents. Members may, however, take up to two years to transition to the new methods, with their PSI continuing to be accounted for on a net ODA basis during the transition period.