How is German ODA changing?

Germany fell short of the 0.7% ODA/GNI target in 2024, reaching only 0.68%, despite remaining a top donor in absolute terms. Germany first achieved the target in 2016 but fell short from 2017 to 2019. The country then met the target for four consecutive years from 2020 to 2023, driven by considerable financial commitments during the COVID-19 pandemic and a surge in in-donor refugee costs related to the reception of refugees from Ukraine. Germany's ODA/GNI is now declining due to significant economic constraints and a deprioritization of ODA under the centrist coalition government led by the conservative CDU/CSU. The coalition excluded the 0.7% ODA/GNI target from its coalition agreement for the first time in 30 years and will remain in office until 2029. ODA/GNI is expected to decline further to below 0.5% from 2027 through 2029.

In absolute terms, Germany's ODA reached record-high levels from 2020 to 2022, peaking at US$40.2 billion in 2022. ODA decreased to US$32.8 billion in 2024 and is projected to decrease further to US$26.2 billion in 2025, in line with a decreasing budget for the BMZ. In-donor refugee costs, which surged in 2022 due to the large influx of refugees from Ukraine, are likely to remain a significant share of ODA through 2025.