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

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2020, Palau's net ODA received (% of central government expense) rose 22.52 percentage points on 2019 (from 20.86% to 43.38%).

Across the 11 yearly changes before that (2009 to 2019), the average change was −1.91 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 25.03 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.0 standard deviations above 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 53.75 percentage points in 2018 and the biggest yearly fall was 51.23 percentage points in 2019. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2011 to 2020 there is no clear straight-line trend: a straight line explains 18% of the movement over 10 observed years, so the value is moving around more than it is heading anywhere.

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

Closest to Palau in the 2020 ranking

• Micronesia, Fed. Sts. — 1st of 8: 196.47%
• Marshall Islands — 2nd of 8: 127.38%
• Mali — 3rd of 8: 61.89%
• Bhutan — 5th of 8: 34.43%
• Cabo Verde — 6th of 8: 28.31%
• Honduras — 7th of 8: 20.79%

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

• Cambodia — 28.84% (2023)
• Fiji — 12.51% (2023)
• Kiribati — 40.29% (2023)
• Lao PDR — 34.3% (2022)
• Malaysia — 0.00967% (2023)
• Marshall Islands — 127.38% (2020)
• Micronesia, Fed. Sts. — 196.47% (2020)
• Mongolia — 5.85% (2021)
• Myanmar — 19.78% (2019)
• Papua New Guinea

More economic policy & debt data for Palau

• GDP (current US$) — US$345 million (2025)
• GDP (current LCU) — 345 million (2025)
• GDP (constant 2015 US$) — US$275.84 million (2025)
• GDP (constant LCU) — 280 million (2025)
• GDP per capita (current US$) — US$19,532 (2025)
• GDP per capita (current LCU) — 19,532 (2025)
• GDP per capita (constant 2015 US$) — US$15,617 (2025)
• GDP per capita (constant LCU) — 15,852 (2025)
• GNI (current US$) — US$351.4 million (2025)
• GNI (current LCU) — 351.4 million (2025)
• GNI per capita (current LCU) — 19,895 (2025)
• GDP (annual % growth)

Reading data like this

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Questions people ask

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

43.38% in 2020, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 2008?

It is up 1.54 percentage points from 41.84% in 2008. The highest value was 72.09% in 2018 and the lowest 12.41% in 2015.

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

In 2020, Palau's net ODA received (% of central government expense) rose 22.52 percentage points on 2019 (from 20.86% to 43.38%). Across the 11 yearly changes before that (2009 to 2019), the average change was −1.91 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 25.03 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.0 standard deviations above 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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