Norad has summed up the figures: Last year, Norway gave NOK 58.6 billion to aid and development. That is nine billion more than in 2022.
The sum of almost NOK 60 billion constitutes 1.09 per cent of the country’s gross national income (GNI). The Storting has decided that we must give at least one percent of GNI.
Continent affected by war and conflicts
The African continent is the largest recipient of Norwegian aid. The region received 10.2 billion last year.
– In a number of African countries, we see that several crises strike at the same time and lead to major humanitarian needs. The number of conflicts has almost doubled from 2010 to 2023. We also know that poverty is the seed of conflict – and that conflict leads to more people living in poverty. The need for assistance is enormous, says director Bård Vegar Solhjell in Norad.
But even though Africa is still the region that overall receives the most Norwegian aid, aid to Europe is increasing sharply.
Ethiopia US Food Aid HUNGER: A woman in the Tigray region of northern Ethiopia supplies herself with emergency aid. (Ben Curtis/AP)
Gives more to Europe than Africa
The Nansen program for Ukraine is the largest Norwegian aid program ever. The program covers both Ukraine and Moldova. Ukraine was the largest recipient of Norwegian aid last year with NOK 7.9 billion.
– Norwegian civil and humanitarian support are important contributions to Ukraine in their defense struggle. We help ensure that they can keep society going and that the state can deliver basic services to the population, even if they are at war, says Solhjell.
In total, Norway gave 9.1 billion to Europe last year.
And: Fresh figures from the OECD show that in 2023 more aid went to Europe than to Africa. Total aid to Ukraine from the DAC countries, which consists of the member countries of the OECD Development Committee, and the EU institutions amounted to USD 40.5 billion in 2023.
Crises, wars and conflicts affect how we use the aid money. When more and more goes to emergency aid and firefighting, we run the risk of this going beyond the longer-term effort
— Bård Vegar Solhjell, director of Norad
More to war and conflict
More of the aid money now goes to countries in war and conflict than before, Norad states. The five countries that receive the most, Ukraine, Palestine, Syria, Afghanistan and Ethiopia are all heavily affected by war.
– Crises, wars and conflicts affect how we use the aid money. When more and more goes to emergency aid and firefighting, we run the risk of this going beyond the longer-term effort, says Norad director Bård Vegar Solhjell.
Alleviating distress in Gaza
Aid from Norway increased to almost all regions last year. Aid to the Middle East increased by over one billion kroner. This is the highest level aid to the Middle East has been at in the last ten years.
The increase consisted almost entirely of emergency aid. NOK 1.2 billion went to Palestine, an increase of over 80 per cent from last year, as a result of the war in Gaza.
