Development Partners Snapshot:
JAPAN
COUNTRY CONTEXT
Development policy:
Development co-operation institutions:
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) has responsibility for co-ordinating the planning of Japan’s development co-operation policies and most contributions to multilateral organisations. JICA has the main responsibility for implementing bilateral ODA.
KEY GOVERNMENT ENTITY ON DEVELOPMENT CO-OPERATION
ODA TRENDS
Japan provided USD 17.6 billion of ODA in 2021, representing 0.34% of GNI. This was an increase of 12.1% in real terms in volume and an increase in share of GNI from 2020. Japan’s ODA has risen steadily over the past decade, almost doubling in volume (a 95% increase in total net ODA), and as a share of GNI. Japan is mindful of the need to achieve the 0.7% ODA/GNI target, but has not set a domestic target. Within Japan’s ODA portfolio in 2020, 39.3% was provided in the form of grants and 60.7% in the form of non-grants.
In 2021, Japan ranked 3rd in terms of ODA volume and 12th among Development Assistance Committee (DAC) countries when ODA is taken as a share of GNI. The bulk of Japan’s ODA is delivered bilaterally through the public sector, with just under half going to least developed countries (LDCs) and lower middle-income countries, mainly in Asia and Africa. A high share (36% of gross bilateral ODA) went to fragile contexts in 2020. Japan’s ODA investments are primarily in economic infrastructure and services, and it has a high share of bilateral country programmable aid (81.7%).
EFFECTIVENESS PERFORMANCE
Global Partnership monitoring trend
Click here for a snapshot of Japan's results from the two most recent Global Partnership monitoring rounds (2018 and 2016). The Global Partnership monitoring process and framework have been revised, and the new round will take place from 2023 to 2026. This profile will be updated periodically as new data is generated by the monitoring exercise.
Use of monitoring results
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The Indicator 5.c.1 (as well as the results obtained in 2018) are mentioned in Japan’s Voluntary National Review (2021) on the implementation of the 2030 Agenda.
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Data from the last monitoring round (2018) was also used in Japan’s 2020 peer review
DAC Performance and Trends - 2019 GPEDC Progress Report
LEARN MORE
The 2020 OECD-DAC peer review praised Japan’s whole-of-society approach to implementing the SDGs and recognised Japan as a global champion of disaster risk reduction. It recommended that increasing ODA could strengthen Japan’s leadership and commitment to the SDGs and that a mechanism would help ensure coherence between domestic policies and global sustainable development objectives. Whole-of-government country policies would ensure synergies across Japan's portfolio and it could be more explicit about how programmes reduce poverty. More streamlined systems and procedures would make Japan a more agile donor. Japan’s next mid-term review is planned for 2023.
