Development Co‑operation Profiles: United States
Table of contents
As the world’s largest provider of official development assistance (ODA) in 2023 and 2024, the United States has substantial development programmes in all sectors and regions. Foreign assistance priorities included global health and security, tackling the climate crisis, promoting democracy and good governance while countering authoritarianism and addressing discrimination and inequality. In 2024, the United States’ total ODA was USD 63.3 billion (preliminary data), representing 0.22% of gross national income (GNI), and marking a decrease compared to 2023.
The 2025 Development Co-operation Profile of the United States focuses exclusively on the most recent ODA data. See the Development Co-operation Profiles.
Findings from OECD-DAC reviews
The 2022 OECD-DAC Peer Review praised the United States for the overall magnitude of its foreign assistance, including in global health; its commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility in its programming and human resources; and its strong political commitment to locally led development and the United States Agency for International Development’s (USAID) internal system reform. The review found opportunities to build on bipartisan political support to forge an effective whole-of-government approach; work closely with Congress so that appropriated funds better align with partner countries’ needs; diversify development finance instruments and their uptake; and keep conflict prevention at the core of programming across all countries. The Peer Review found that of the 18 recommendations in the 2016 Peer Review, the United States had fully implemented 3 and partially implemented 12. Discover insights from the United States’ 2022 Peer Review and learn from the United States’s practices in Development Co-operation Tools Insights Practices (TIPs).
The United States provided USD 63.3 billion (preliminary data) of ODA in 2024 (USD 61.8 billion in constant terms), representing 0.22% of GNI.1 This was a decrease of 4.4% in real terms in volume and a decrease in the share of GNI from 0.24% in 2023. After steady growth in ODA since 2019 – most recently due to increases in aid to Ukraine – the United States’ ODA fell in 2024. The United States has not committed to the 0.7% ODA/GNI target. Within the United States’ ODA portfolio in 2023, 99.9% was provided in the form of grants and 0.1% in the form of non-grants.2
In 2024, the United States ranked 25th among Development Assistance Committee (DAC) member countries when ODA is taken as a share of GNI and is the top DAC provider in terms of total ODA volume. The United States provided the highest volume of humanitarian assistance in 2023 (USD 12.7 billion), government and civil society (USD 15.1 billion), and health and population (USD 7.7 billion) in terms of bilateral ODA commitments. It also provided the largest volume of gross bilateral ODA disbursements to least developed countries (LDCs) (USD 13.6 billion), fragile contexts (USD 18.3 billion), and to and through civil society organisations (CSOs) (USD 11.4 billion).
The United States 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.
The United States provided a higher share of its ODA bilaterally in 2023. Gross bilateral ODA was 91.9% of total ODA disbursements. Thirty-seven per cent of gross bilateral ODA was channelled through multilateral organisations (earmarked contributions).
In 2023, the United States provided USD 27.5 billion of gross ODA to the multilateral system, a fall of 1.7% in real terms from 2022. Of this, USD 5.2 billion was core multilateral ODA (8.1% of total ODA), while USD 22.3 billion 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 87.7% of the United States’ non-core contributions and 12.3% was programmatic funding (to pooled funds and specific-purpose programmes and funds).
The United Nations (UN) system received 44.4% of the United States’ contributions to multilateral organisations, of which USD 11 billion (89.8%) represented earmarked contributions. Out of a total volume of USD 12.2 billion to the UN system, the top three UN recipients of the United States’ support (core and earmarked contributions) were the World Food Programme (USD 4.4 billion), the UN Refugee Agency (USD 1.9 billion) and the UN Secretariat (USD 1.3 billion).
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, the United States’ bilateral spending increased compared to the previous year. It provided USD 59.7 billion of gross bilateral ODA (which includes earmarked contributions to multilateral organisations). This represented an increase of 9.2% in real terms from 2022.
In 2023, country programmable aid amounted to USD 25.8 billion, or 43.1% of the United States’ gross bilateral ODA, compared to the DAC country average of 43.1%. In-donor refugee costs were USD 7 billion in 2023, representing 11.6% of the United States’ gross bilateral ODA. This was a decrease of 13.8% in real terms over 2022.
In 2023, the United States channelled its bilateral ODA mainly through multilateral organisations, the public sector and non-governmental organisations. Technical co-operation made up 1.1% of gross ODA in 2023.
In 2023, CSOs received USD 11.4 billion of gross bilateral ODA, of which 11% was directed to developing country-based CSOs. No gross bilateral ODA was allocated to CSOs as core contributions and 19.1% 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 16.9% to 19.1%. Learn more about the DAC Recommendation on Enabling Civil Society in Development Co-operation and Humanitarian Aid.
In 2023, the United States’ bilateral ODA primarily focused on countries in Africa. USD 15.7 billion was allocated to countries in Africa and USD 13.1 billion to ODA-eligible countries in Europe (of which 90.3% was for Ukraine), accounting respectively for 26.4% and 21.8% of gross bilateral ODA. USD 5 billion was allocated to Asia (excluding the Middle East). Europe was also the main regional recipient of the United States’ earmarked contributions to multilateral organisations.
In 2023, 36.2% of gross bilateral ODA went to the United States’ top 10 recipients. Its top recipient was Ukraine, which received more than seven times as much ODA as the second-largest recipient, Ethiopia. Other top recipients were in Central Asia, the Middle East, and sub-Saharan Africa. The share of gross bilateral ODA not allocated by country was 37.2%, of which 31.3% consisted of expenditures for processing and hosting refugees in provider countries.
In 2023, the United States allocated 0.06% of its GNI to LDCs. The United States allocated the highest share of gross bilateral ODA (29%) to lower middle-income countries (LMICs) in 2023, noting that 37.2% was unallocated by income group. LDCs received 22.9% of the United States’ gross bilateral ODA (USD 13.7 billion). Additionally, the United States allocated 12.9% of gross bilateral ODA to land-locked developing countries in 2023, equal to USD 7.7 billion. The United States allocated 1.4% of gross bilateral ODA to small island developing states in 2023, equal to USD 854.1 million.
Looking at the distribution of the United States’ ODA in relation to “ODA per person in extreme poverty”,3 the amount was USD 21.4 in LDCs, USD 31.7 in LMICs and USD 86.3 in upper middle-income countries.
In 2024, the United States provided USD 9.6 billion of net bilateral ODA to Ukraine to respond to the impacts of Russia’s full-scale invasion, a 20.5% decrease from 2023 in real terms. USD 661 million of the amount was humanitarian assistance in 2024, a 39.6% decrease from 2023.
Support to contexts with high and extreme fragility was USD 18.3 billion in 2023, representing 30.7% of the United States’ gross bilateral ODA. Forty-eight per cent of this ODA was provided in the form of humanitarian assistance, an increase from 41.9% in 2022, while 5.6% was allocated to peace, an increase from 5.5% in 2022. Two per cent of gross bilateral ODA went to conflict prevention, a subset of contributions to peace, representing a decrease from 2.2% in 2022. Learn more about the OECD States of Fragility platform.
In 2023, the largest focus of the United States’ bilateral ODA was social infrastructure and services. Investments in this area accounted for 44.1% of bilateral ODA commitments (USD 25.3 billion), with a strong focus on support to government and civil society (USD 15.1 billion), health and population (USD 7.7 billion), and education (USD 1.7 billion). ODA for other sectors totalled USD 14.2 billion, with a focus on refugees in donor countries (USD 8.6 billion). Humanitarian assistance amounted to USD 12.7 billion (22.1% of bilateral ODA). Earmarked contributions to multilateral organisations also focused on social sectors and other macro sectors in 2023.
In the period 2022-23, the United States committed 18.6% of screened bilateral allocable ODA to gender equality and women’s empowerment, compared to 17.7% in 2020-214 and a DAC average of 45.8% in 2022-23. This is equal to USD 8.1 billion 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%.
The United States includes gender equality objectives in 1.3% of ODA for humanitarian aid, below the 2022-23 DAC average of 19.1%.
The United States screened all bilateral allocable ODA activities against the DAC gender equality policy marker in 2023.
The United States committed USD 22.2 million of ODA to end violence against women and girls and USD 5.1 million 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, the United States committed 14.4% of its total bilateral allocable ODA (USD 6.3 billion) in support of the environment and the Rio Conventions, up from 7.8% 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%.
Twelve per cent of total bilateral allocable ODA (USD 5 billion) focused on climate change overall, up from 2.9% in 2020-21 (the DAC average was 34.8%). The United States had a greater focus on adaptation (10.4%) than on mitigation (4.9%) in 2022-23.
Three per cent of screened bilateral allocable ODA (USD 1.1 billion) focused on biodiversity overall, up from 1.9% 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 United States committed USD 144.7 million in support of the conservation and sustainable use of the ocean in 2023, USD 13.1 million more than in 2022. The 2023 value is equivalent to 0.3% of the United States’ bilateral allocable ODA.
In 2023, the United States:
Allocated 7.4% of its bilateral ODA (USD 4.4 billion) to core poverty-reducing sectors as defined by Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 1.a.1. This indicator captures grants to basic social services (such as basic health and education, water supply and sanitation) and development food aid. In addition, 0.3% of bilateral ODA (USD 168.1 million) went to social protection support.
Committed USD 6.4 billion (14.7% of its bilateral allocable ODA) to address the immediate or underlying determinants of malnutrition in developing countries across a variety of sectors, such as emergency response, health and population policies/programmes, and reproductive health.
Committed USD 20.7 million (0.05% of its bilateral allocable ODA) to the mobilisation of domestic resources in developing countries. Regarding the payment of local tax and customs duties for ODA-funded goods and services, the United States generally requests exemptions and makes this information available on the OECD Digital Transparency Hub on the Tax Treatment of ODA.
Committed USD 3.9 billion (8.9% of its bilateral allocable ODA) to promote aid for trade and improve developing countries’ trade performance and integration into the world economy in 2023. The United States is among the top 10 official providers of aid for trade globally.
To build markets in developing countries and incentivise greater mobilisation of private resources for development, many providers, including the United States, have established development finance institutions (DFIs) and similar vehicles that extend private sector instruments (PSI).
In 2023, the United States’ International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) extended USD 1.36 billion in the form of loans to the private sector in developing countries.5 Other private sector instruments committed by the DFC in 2023 include equities.
The United States does not account its PSI in ODA.
In 2023, USD 58.9 million (4.3%) of the United States’ private sector instruments were allocated to LDCs and other low-income countries (LICs), with a majority (73.8%) allocated to middle-income countries and LMICs in particular (43.6%). USD 297 million was unallocated by income. The United States’ PSI primarily supported projects in the energy (27.4%) and banking and financial services (26.9%) sectors.
The United States uses leveraging mechanisms to mobilise private finance for sustainable development. In 2023, USAID, the International Development Finance Corporation, the Millennium Challenge Corporation and the State Department mobilised USD 7.5 billion from the private sector through direct investment in companies and special purpose vehicles, guarantees, shares in collective investment vehicles and simple co-financing. This constituted a 27.7% increase compared to 2022.
Private finance mobilised by the United States in 2022-23 mainly targeted middle-income countries, representing 56.6% of its total mobilised. Only 6.4% of total mobilised private finance during this period benefited LDCs and other LICs, noting that 37% was unallocated by income.
Mobilised private finance by the United States in 2022-23 related mainly to activities in banking and financial services (37%) as its top sector. Furthermore, over this period, 40.8% of the United States’ 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 the United States as TOSSD totalled USD 75.7 billion, up from USD 69.3 billion in 2022. The United States’ TOSSD activities mostly targeted SDG 1 (no poverty), SDG 11 (sustainable cities and communities) and SDG 16 (peace, justice and strong institutions). Activity-level data on TOSSD by recipient are available at: https://tossd.online.
Access the full list of providers at this link: Development Co-operation Profiles.
2022 OECD-DAC Peer Review of the United States: https://doi.org/10.1787/6da3a74e-en
Millennium Challenge Corporation: https://www.mcc.gov
US International Development Finance Corporation: https://www.dfc.gov
CSO umbrella organisation InterAction: https://www.interaction.org
The United States has been a member of the OECD Development Assistance Committee (DAC) since 1961.
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.
This document, as well as any data and map included herein, are without prejudice to the status of or sovereignty over any territory, to the delimitation of international frontiers and boundaries and to the name of any territory, city or area.
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.
Note by the Republic of Türkiye
The information in this document with reference to “Cyprus” relates to the southern part of the Island. There is no single authority representing both Turkish and Greek Cypriot people on the Island. Türkiye recognises the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC). Until a lasting and equitable solution is found within the context of the United Nations, Türkiye shall preserve its position concerning the “Cyprus issue”.
Note by all the European Union Member States of the OECD and the European Union
The Republic of Cyprus is recognised by all members of the United Nations with the exception of Türkiye. The information in this document relates to the area under the effective control of the Government of the Republic of Cyprus.
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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.