The media - and people in general - often refer to the total of
development aid to developing countries.  One figure mentioned in some
contexts is USD 50 billion, but it seems to differ significantly.

My Questions: 
What is the real figure (if there is one) ?  
Who defines it ?
 
I have two spontaneours guesses on why there are differences:
1. The uncertainties could be that some aid is pure grants (give away)
and some is in the form of loans (low interest rates, soft pay-back
conditions....)
2. The number of receiving countries is not well define...with or
without f.x. some of the former Soviet states.

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Request for Question Clarification by pafalafa-ga on 26 Aug 2004 07:35 PDT

alsinger-ga,

Interesting question!

The numbers can be very variable, in part, because different groups
use somewhat different meanings to refer to development funds, which
can be everything from loans, grants, debt forgiveness, direct
investment, and even worker "remittances" -- money sent by immigrant
workers in, e.g., the US, back to their home countries.

The best overview of all this is available from the World Bank's
annual "Global Development Finance" reports.  The most recent one is
summarized here:


http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/NEWS/0,,contentMDK:20102096~menuPK:34463~pagePK:34370~piPK:34424~theSitePK:4607,00.html


and includes this little tidbit:


"Net lending by official creditors to developing countries was
positive, at $16 billion, with another $32.9 billion provided in
grants..."


The grants plus loans is indeed about $50 billion, but as you can see,
this is in the context of much larger flows of funds from other
sources as well.  Conversely, the funds to developing countries is
offset in great measure by the debt service they are forced to pay on
past loans!


Is this the type of information you need?  Let me know.


pafalafa-ga

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Clarification of Question by alsinger-ga on 26 Aug 2004 08:55 PDT

Pafalafa,
Time has not allowed me to look in detail but it looks as if you are
on the right track - so please continue.
Alsinger
26.8.