2025 Key Findings

Pacific Aid Map

This interactive database maps and tracks development finance flows from the international community to the Pacific Islands region. The research covers Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu, with complete data from 2008 to 2023.

The project’s goal is to improve aid efficiency in the Pacific by fostering greater transparency and coordination of development efforts.

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  1. Pacific Islands aid falls to pre‑pandemic levels amid steep lending contraction

    After two years of record contractions, Pacific official development finance volumes have returned to pre-pandemic levels. The decline has been driven by a sharp fall in lending to Papua New Guinea and Fiji, while grant support has remained stable across the rest of the region.

    Official development finance to the Pacific, by type Spent, constant 2023 US$
    2009201120132015201720192021202301B2B3B4B5B6B
    • Grant
    • Concessional loan
    • Non-concessional loan

  2. Australia holds the line despite aid retreat by Western donors

    Sharp aid cuts by major Western donors have thrown the global development landscape into disarray. Australia’s dominant role in the Pacific Islands is likely to insulate the region from the worst impacts, resulting in a flat but fragile development financing outlook.

    Official development finance to the Pacific, Australia vs bilateral donors Spent, constant 2023 US$
    00.5B1.0B1.5B2.0B2010201620222028
    • Australia
    • Other bilateral donors
    • Projected

  3. Impact of USAID cuts overstated but compounds US reputational freefall

    USAID cuts are unlikely to materially affect Pacific Island aid levels, given most US support flows through protected Compacts of Free Association. However, even modest cuts amplify uncertainty and reputational risks, reinforcing perceptions of US inconsistency.

    US official development finance to the Pacific, annual average 2008–23 Spent, constant 2023 US$
    US Compactfinancing187M80%Humanitarianfunds13M5%Other US aid36M15%
    • US Compact financing
    • Humanitarian funds
    • Other US aid

  4. China’s aid model grows more sophisticated with record grants and grassroots projects

    After a prolonged decline in lending, China’s development engagement in the Pacific Islands region has stabilised and recalibrated. Funding remains below 2010s levels, but the focus has shifted from debt-driven infrastructure to more targeted, grant-based and grassroots engagement.

    China’s official development finance to the Pacific Committed and spent, constant 2023 US$
    2008–19 Avg.202020212022202320240100M200M300M400M500M
    • Grant commitments
    • Loan commitments
    • Total spending

  5. Strategic infrastructure spending booms as health and education support slides

    Infrastructure has emerged as the Pacific Islands’ dominant development finance theme, driven by acute needs and intensifying geopolitical competition. Yet despite record flows, investment has only marginally narrowed the region’s infrastructure gap and has come at the expense of human development sectors.

    Strategic infrastructure official development finance Spent, constant 2023 US$
    00.2B0.5B0.7B1.0B1.2B2011201520192023
    • Other infrastructure
    • Road transport
    • Strategic infrastructure
2025 Key Findings Report

Explore more analysis

The Pacific Aid Map provides a variety of tools to allow users to make the most of the database, including an interactive map, charts and key indicator dashboards, profiles of each Pacific Islands country, and free download of the complete dataset with detailed project-level information. The Pacific Aid Map Key Findings Report includes in-depth analysis on the region’s official development finance.

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