Australia's aid to Southeast Asia holds steady as big donors pull back
Australia gave $1.1 billion to the region in 2024, while all aid there fell almost 10 per cent.
Australia's aid to Southeast Asia rose slightly in 2024 while other big donors pulled back. Canberra put $1.1 billion into aid projects in the region in 2024, a Lowy Institute report found.
The 2024 figure was a slight rise on the year before. Across the region, development money fell almost 10 per cent to $37 billion in 2024.
Japan made the biggest cut, down $2.2 billion, mainly because COVID-era loans finished. China's aid fell $1.6 billion but still made up one-fifth of the region's total.
About 90 per cent of China's money went to infrastructure. The 10-year-old Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank provided a $2.9 billion surge in funding in 2024.
Multilateral development banks, which lend across many countries, have emerged as the region's main development partner for the first time since 2015.
- $1.1 billion
- Australia's 2024 aid
- $2.2 billion
- Japan's reduction
Why it mattersPoorer countries that rely on grants and cheap loans could face harder times as donors cut back.
AustraliaAustralian aid to the region is expected to stay stable, based on national interest in the Indo-Pacific.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 2 h ago
Open this story in InSnip →
