In 2020, Hungary substantially increased its Official Development Assistance (ODA), allocating 411.41 million dollars (126.71 billion Hungarian forints) to 550 international development projects in 110 countries. Hungary’s ODA in terms of gross national income (GNI) thus increased to 0.26%, marking an impressive growth
The Development Assistance Committee (DAC) of the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) presented the preliminary ODA data of 2020 in a detailed press release on 13 April 2021.
According to the published preliminary data, in 2020, Hungary’s Official Development Assistance (ODA) amounted 411.41 million dollars (126.71 billion Hungarian forints), the sum of which contributed to 550 international development projects in 110 countries. Hungary thereby managed to increase its ODA/GNI ratio from 0,09% in 2010 to nearly 0,26% in 2020, which highlights a total increase of 260%. With this impressive achievement, Hungary successfully reached and exceeded the 0.25% ODA/GNI target by 2025, as set out in its International Development Cooperation Strategy for the period 2020-2025 (IDC2025). Hungary achieved a likewise outstanding result compared to its V4 partners, as well as other Member States of the European Union, as Hungary achieved – second only to Malta – the highest annual growth in real terms by increasing its ODA by 35.8% compared to 2019.
Hungary’s development cooperation primarily focused on the Western Balkans (52.3 million dollars), the Middle East (43.8 million dollars) and Africa (22.9 million dollars). The development programs were implemented in the fields of education and capacity building (111.7 million dollars), industry (23.3 million dollars), healthcare (21.3 million dollars) and agriculture (16.1 million dollars).
The substantial increase of the assistance – in line with the priorities of IDC2025 – is attributable to a wide range of international economic development and foreign investment programs, bilateral development projects and numerous medical donations implemented with a view to assisting our international partners in their efforts to tackle the effects of COVID-19 pandemic.