Reports
Southeast Asia Aid Map 2024 - Key Findings Report
The Southeast Asia Aid Map — launched by the Lowy Institute in 2023 — is a comprehensive database tracking official development finance (ODF) flows in Southeast Asia.
This 2024 Key Findings report includes an analysis of Southeast Asia’s evolving development finance landscape and a series of profiles on each of the 11 Southeast Asian countries covered in the database.
17 June 2024
Key Findings
- After a pandemic-related surge in support, total official development finance to the region fell to a new low of $26 billion in 2022.
- There has been a sharp decline in new Chinese development financing, though ongoing projects mean Beijing looks set to remain the dominant infrastructure financier in the region.
- Traditional development partners collectively continue to dominate total financing, accounting for nearly 90% of total ODF disbursements to Southeast Asia in 2022.
- The Asian Development Bank and Japan played the most substantive roles in supporting crisis man- agement and recovery.
- Climate development finance dropped 15% in 2022 despite increased policy emphasis from the international community, leaving the region’s green transition at risk.
- More than 40% of ODF incorporates gender equality as a significant objective. The Asian Development Bank, Australia, and the United States are the top funders for projects with gender equality as their principal objective.
- Despite a political premium placed on “ASEAN centrality”, relatively little development support is directed through ASEAN rather than bilateral and other multilateral channels.
- Intra-regional development financing and assis- tance between ASEAN member states is growing, but from a low base. Thailand does the most (85%), followed by Vietnam (12%).
