China · Aid-Like (ODA-Like) Commitments to Sub-Saharan Africa · US$ billions

## What this measures

Loans and grants committed by official-sector institutions in China (government agencies, policy banks, state-owned banks, companies and funds) to low- and middle-income countries, by the year of commitment, in US$ billions at constant 2021 prices, yearly 2000–2021. AidData builds the record project by project from official sources, loan agreements and reporting, because China does not publish its development finance in this form. This series is the ODA-like class: finance with development intent that meets the OECD's concessionality threshold, the part comparable with other donors' aid, to the 48 economies of Sub-Saharan Africa (World Bank definition).

The dataset ENDS IN 2021 (Version 3.0, published November 2023). It is the most recent complete record, but it cannot show anything about the years since, including the 2025 aid cuts.

## Why it matters

China is one of the largest official lenders to developing countries and does not report to the OECD, so its finance is missing from every DAC aid total. This is the standard independent record of it.

## How to read it

Totals follow AidData's own rules: only records flagged "Recommended For Aggregates" (which drops pledges, cancelled projects and double counts), summed on the adjusted amount in constant 2021 dollars. Commitments are counted in the year they were signed, not paid out, so one large loan can make a year jump. Most Chinese official finance is OOF-like lending, not aid; only the ODA-like part compares with DAC donors' ODA.

## What it does not say

The dataset ENDS IN 2021 (Version 3.0, published November 2023). It is the most recent complete record, but it cannot show anything about the years since, including the 2025 aid cuts. Amounts are commitments, not disbursements, and AidData's record is as complete as its sources; finance it could not find is not here. Constant 2021 dollars, not current dollars, unlike the OECD series.

## Source

AidData (William & Mary), Global Chinese Development Finance Dataset, Version 3.0, read from the dataset zip on docs.aiddata.org. Licence (the dataset workbook's License tab): "The original dataset produced by AidData is licensed using the Open Data Commons Attribution License (ODC-By). Any use of the dataset and its content must include appropriate attribution to AidData." Citation: AidData. 2023. Global Chinese Development Finance Dataset, Version 3.0. https://www.aiddata.org/data/aiddatas-global-chinese-development-finance-dataset-version-3-0 Re-read monthly by /api/cron/aiddata-gcdf-sync.