Nepal: Net ODA received (% of central government expense)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2021, Nepal's net ODA received (% of central government expense) fell 3.82 percentage points on 2020 (from 26.11% to 22.29%).

Across the 10 yearly changes before that (2011 to 2020), the average change was +0.07 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 5.14 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.8 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 8.13 percentage points in 2020 and the biggest yearly fall was 5.42 percentage points in 2016. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2012 to 2021 the straight-line trend is downward, about 1 percentage points a year. A straight line explains 34% 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 2021, Nepal 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 Nepal in the 2021 ranking

• Burundi — 2nd of 14: 145.28%
• Lebanon — 3rd of 14: 96.49%
• West Bank and Gaza — 4th of 14: 45.64%
• Cameroon — 6th of 14: 20.43%
• Zambia — 7th of 14: 19.61%
• Bangladesh — 8th of 14: 14.69%

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 13 values

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

• Bangladesh — 14.69% (2021)
• Bhutan — 34.43% (2020)
• India — 0.63% (2022)
• Maldives — 7.33% (2021)
• Sri Lanka — 5.46% (2023)

More economic policy & debt data for Nepal

• Total reserves, including gold (current US$) — US$21.1 billion (2025)
• Total reserves, excluding gold (current US$) — US$19.98 billion (2025)
• Services, value added (current US$) — US$24.73 billion (2025)
• Services, value added (current LCU) — 3.37 trillion (2025)
• Services, value added (% of GDP) — 54.37% (2025)
• Gross Value Added (GVA) at basic prices (current US$) — US$40.02 billion (2025)
• Gross Value Added (GVA) at basic prices (current LCU) — 5.45 trillion (2025)
• GDP (current US$) — US$45.49 billion (2025)
• GDP (current LCU) — 6.2 trillion (2025)
• GDP (constant 2015 US$) — US$36.54 billion (2025)

Reading data like this

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Questions people ask

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

22.29% in 2021, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 2004?

It is down 18.18 percentage points from 40.47% in 2004. The highest value was 40.47% in 2004 and the lowest 17.97% in 2019.

How does Nepal rank?

6th highest of 14 economies with data for 2021.

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

In 2021, Nepal's net ODA received (% of central government expense) fell 3.82 percentage points on 2020 (from 26.11% to 22.29%). Across the 10 yearly changes before that (2011 to 2020), the average change was +0.07 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 5.14 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.8 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

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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