The OECD Development Assistance Committee (DAC) today published preliminary statistics for development assistance from all member countries. Sweden's aid volume as a proportion of gross national income (GNI) preliminarily amounted to 0.98 per cent in 2008, which is the highest in the world.

"Sweden comfortably exceeds the goal of an aid volume of 0.7 per cent of GNI. Having said that, I am concerned that the developing countries risk being doubly affected by the financial crisis. Since global growth is dramatically decreasing and aid volumes are declining, there is a risk that many donor countries will not meet their previously made commitments," says Minister for International Development Cooperation Gunilla Carlsson.

The statistics show that only Sweden and four other countries meet and exceed the UN goal of an aid volume of 0.7 per cent of GNI.

The statistics for preliminary aid volumes in per cent of GNI are as follows: Sweden, 0.98 per cent; Luxembourg, 0.92 per cent; Norway, 0.88 per cent; Denmark, 0.82 per cent and the Netherlands, 0.80 per cent. The average level of development assistance from DAC member countries is 0.47 per cent of GNI.