A continuing high level of aid

In 2013 total aid reached a record high of NOK 32.8 billion. The reason for this was the extraordinary disbursements to Brazil through the Norway’s International Climate and Forest Initiative. This is the background for the decrease in 2014.

Total Norwegian aid in 2014 was NOK 31.7 billion, which represented 0.99 per cent of Norway’s gross national income (GNI).

- Norwegian aid has long remained at a consistently high level of approximately one per cent of GNI. Along with four other member countries of the OECD Development Assistance Committee, in 2014 Norway fulfilled the UN objective of spending at least 0.7 per cent of GNI on development aid, says Villa Kulild, Director General of Norad.

• See also: According to OECD-DAC, development aid stable in 2014 but flows to poorest countries still falling

Afghanistan received most

In 2014, 116 countries throughout the world received aid from Norway, the same number as in 2013. Of these countries, Afghanistan received most. The country received NOK 758 million in aid and almost half was dedicated to economic development and trade.

The largest disbursement of NOK 241 million went to the Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund (ARTF). The fund is managed by the World Bank, and provides money for projects prioritized by the Afghan government. Other main partners in Afghanistan are UNDP and the Red Cross.

- Norwegian aid to Afghanistan goes to support the struggle for human rights, to strengthen the position of women, to combat corruption, and to promote education. Afghanistan has a long way to go in these areas, but more results have been achieved in recent years. For example, very many more children, including girls, are now starting school, says Kulild.

Before 2001, fewer than one million children in Afghanistan attended school. In 2013, this number had increased to more than 9.2 million, of whom 3.6 million are girls.

Investments in hydropower

Laos, Guyana and the Philippines are newcomers on the list of the ten countries that received the most Norwegian aid in 2014.

The increased aid to Laos and the Philippines is mainly attributable to investments in hydropower made by Norfund (the Norwegian government’s investment fund for business in developing countries).

The large increase in aid to Guyana is attributable to disbursements in connection with the results achieved in the country’s rainforest conservation programme.

One billion more to the World Bank

In 2014, half of Norwegian aid was channelled through multilateral institutions. This corresponds to almost NOK 16 billion, which represents an increase of NOK 1.5 billion compared to 2013.

Of this, various UN organizations received almost NOK 7.5 billion. The World Bank is also an important partner, and received NOK 3.9 billion in 2014. This is an increase of almost one billion since 2013.

Norwegian NGOs administered 14 per cent of the aid in 2014, with an increase of NOK 200 million since 2013. The five largest Norwegian organizations in 2014 were the Norwegian Refugee Council, the Norwegian Red Cross, Norwegian Church Aid, Norwegian People’s Aid and Save the Children Norway.

More for humanitarian aid

Humanitarian aid increased by more than NOK 300 million, from NOK 2.5 million in 2013 to NOK 2.8 billion in 2014. Humanitarian aid represented nine per cent of the total aid.

South Sudan, Syria, Iraq, the Palestinian territories and Somalia received the most humanitarian aid from Norway. In total these five countries received over NOK 1 billion in humanitarian aid – which is three per cent of total Norwegian aid in 2014.

Climate and forest are still important

The sector that received the most Norwegian aid in 2014 was environment and energy. NOK 5.5 billion were disbursed for purposes within this category. This is largely attributable to the Norwegian government’s International Climate and Forest Initiative.

A further NOK 4.2 billion went to projects to promote good governance, and NOK 3.2 billion to economic development and trade. These three sectors were also the largest in 2013 and 2012.

Africa receives the most aid

Africa still received more Norwegian aid than any other region. Aid to Africa increased from NOK 6.2 billion in 2013 to NOK 6.4 billion in 2014. However, the largest increase was in Asia, where aid increased from NOK 2.8 billion to NOK 3.3 billion from 2013 to 2014. Norfund’s investments in Asian countries of NOK 1.4 billion last year explain much of this increase.

At the same time, aid to America dropped sharply after having reached a record high in 2013, when Norway made an extraordinary disbursement of NOK 2.9 billion to Brazil.

These were payments for reduced deforestation in the Amazon, which were allocated over and above the previous year’s state budgets.

Aid to the world’s least developed countries increased to NOK 6.7 billion in 2014. This corresponds to 21 per cent of total aid, and is approximately NOK 550 million more than in 2013. Of the least developed countries, Afghanistan received the most, ahead of South Sudan, Laos, Malawi and Tanzania.