Lao PDR: Net ODA received (% of central government expense)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2022, Lao PDR's net ODA received (% of central government expense) rose 5.83 percentage points on 2021 (from 28.47% to 34.3%).

Across the 13 yearly changes before that (2009 to 2021), the average change was −3.8 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 8.1 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.2 standard deviations above that average, so it was larger than a typical year, though not out of the range seen before.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 5.83 percentage points in 2022 and the biggest yearly fall was 22.36 percentage points in 2009. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2013 to 2022 the straight-line trend is upward, about 1.21 percentage points a year. A straight line explains 65% of the movement over 10 observed years.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

How it compares

In 2022, Lao PDR had the 6th highest value of the 14 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.

Closest to Lao PDR in the 2022 ranking

• Malawi — 2nd of 14: 54.69%
• Mozambique — 3rd of 14: 52.43%
• Congo, Dem. Rep. — 4th of 14: 37.53%
• Lesotho — 6th of 14: 16.22%
• Timor-Leste — 7th of 14: 13.33%
• Ghana — 8th of 14: 6.26%

What this measures

Net official development assistance (ODA) consists of disbursements of loans made on concessional terms (net of repayments of principal) and grants by official agencies of the members of the Development Assistance Committee (DAC), by multilateral institutions, and by non-DAC countries to promote economic development and welfare in countries and territories in the DAC list of ODA recipients. It includes loans with a grant element of at least 25 percent (calculated at a rate of discount of 10 percent).

Limitations: Data on ODA is for aid-receiving countries. The data cover loans and grants from DAC member countries, multilateral organizations, and non-DAC donors. They do not reflect aid given by recipient countries to other developing countries. As a result, some countries that are net donors are shown as aid recipients. The indicator does not distinguish types of aid (program, project, or food aid; emergency assistance; or post-conflict peacekeeping assistance), which may have different effects on the economy. Ratio of aid to central government expense provides measures of recipient country's dependency on aid. But care must be taken in drawing policy conclusions.

All 15 values

Net ODA received (% of central government expense) in nearby economies

• Cambodia — 28.84% (2023)
• Fiji — 12.51% (2023)
• Kiribati — 40.29% (2023)
• Malaysia — 0.00967% (2023)
• Marshall Islands — 127.38% (2020)
• Micronesia, Fed. Sts. — 196.47% (2020)
• Mongolia — 5.85% (2021)
• Myanmar — 19.78% (2019)
• Palau — 43.38% (2020)
• Papua New Guinea

More economic policy & debt data for Lao PDR

• Grants, excluding technical cooperation (BoP, current US$) — US$347.91 million (2023)
• Technical cooperation grants (BoP, current US$) — US$90.18 million (2023)
• Net bilateral aid flows from DAC donors, Japan (current US$) — US$41.74 million (2023)
• Net bilateral aid flows from DAC donors, Total (current US$) — US$435.39 million (2023)
• Net official development assistance and official aid received (current US$) — US$514.84 million (2023)
• Net official development assistance and official aid received (constant 2023 US$) — US$514.84 million (2023)
• Net official development assistance received (current US$) — US$514.84 million (2023)
• Net official development assistance received (constant 2023 US$)

Reading data like this

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Questions people ask

What is Lao PDR's net ODA received (% of central government expense)?

34.3% in 2022, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 2008?

It is down 43.57 percentage points from 77.87% in 2008. The highest value was 77.87% in 2008 and the lowest 18.1% in 2016.

How does Lao PDR rank?

6th highest of 14 economies with data for 2022.

Is the latest change in net ODA received (% of central government expense) unusual for Lao PDR?

In 2022, Lao PDR's net ODA received (% of central government expense) rose 5.83 percentage points on 2021 (from 28.47% to 34.3%). Across the 13 yearly changes before that (2009 to 2021), the average change was −3.8 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 8.1 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.2 standard deviations above that average, so it was larger than a typical year, though not out of the range seen before.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator DT.ODA.ODAT.XP.ZS, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Development Assistance Committee, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), uri: www.oecd.org/dac/stats/idsonline; Geographical Distribution of Financial Flows to Developing Countries, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), uri: www.oecd.org/dac/stats/ids… Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

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