Portugal’s official development assistance (ODA) reached €480 million in 2022, according to preliminary data released on Wednesday by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), €100 million more than in 2021.
The rise in Portugal’s ODA was “the largest recorded since 2010, corresponding to 0.23% of Gross National Income,” the ministry of foreign affairs (MFA) said in a statement.
The bilateral aspect recorded a 31% increase compared to 2021, accounting for €186 million, and Ukraine, after Mozambique, entered the group of main beneficiaries, which also included Sao Tome and Principe, Guinea-Bissau and Cabo Verde.
“This increase in Portuguese ODA reflects Portugal’s commitment to continued support for the sustainable development of our partners on the African continent, as well as humanitarian aid to Ukraine as part of combined multilateral efforts, with a focus on the European Union,” the MFA said in a statement.
Multilateral ODA flows recorded a 19% rise on the previous year, reaching €294 million, as a result of Portugal’s increased contribution to partnerships with the European Union, the African Development Bank and the International Association for Development of the World Bank group.
The MFA considers that these figures reaffirm the “national commitment to the gradual and sustained increase in ODA, in line with the Portuguese Cooperation Strategy 2030”, noting that they are above the average growth rate of the members of the Development Assistance Committee.
According to the OECD report, foreign aid from official donors had in 2022 an increase of 13.6% in real terms compared to 2021, as “developed countries increased their spending on humanitarian aid and the processing and reception of refugees”.
