These Countries Gave The Most To Help Other Countries In Need Last Year

These Countries Gave The Most To Help Other Countries In Need Last Year

A majority of Americans believe Washington spends too much on foreign aid, but the U.S. is far from the world's most giving nation.

In fact, it doesn't even crack the top 10.

The OECD's new data last month reported which of its 28 member countries gave the most to others in development aid last year, based off of each country's gross national income, or GNI.

Although the U.S. gave the most in total -- giving away $32.37 billion in development assistance -- that figure was only 0.19 percent of its GNI, Mashable reported. Sweden -- which took the top spot -- gave away 1.1 percent of its GNI in 2014.

As the Week pointed out last year, Americans tend to wildly overestimate how much of their taxes are spent on foreign aid. Highlighting a Kaiser Family Foundation survey, the outlet reported that, on average, Americans believe 28 percent of the federal budget is spent abroad.

DAC's new data highlights an increase in development aid throughout the past 15 years, as official development assistance (ODA) has increased by 66 percent since 2000.

“I am encouraged to see that development aid remains at a historic high at a time when donor countries are still emerging from the toughest economic crisis of our lifetime,” OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurría said, according to a statement.

To see which DAC countries gave the largest percentage of their gross national incomes to international development aid, scroll below.

10
Germany
AP/Markus Schreiber
Germany gave 0.41 percent of its GNI to development assistance in 2014.
9
Belgium
VIRGINIE LEFOUR/AFP/Getty Images
Belgium gave 0.45 percent of its GNI to development assistance in 2014.
8
Switzerland
AP Photo/Keystone, Arno Balzarini
Switzerland gave 0.49 percent of its GNI to development assistance in 2014.
7
Finland
PAAL AARSEATHER/AFP/Getty Images
Finland gave 0.60 percent of its GNI to development assistance in 2014.
6
Netherlands
BRAM VAN DER BIEZEN/AFP/Getty Images
The Netherlands gave 0.64 percent of its GNI to development assistance in 2014.
5
United Kingdom
AP Photo/Alastair Grant
The United Kingdom gave 0.71 percent of its GNI to development assistance in 2014.
4
Denmark
ERIC BARADAT/AFP/Getty Images
Denmark gave 0.85 percent of its GNI to development assistance in 2014.
3
Norway
KYRRE LIEN/AFP/Getty Images
Norway gave 0.99 percent of its GNI to development assistance in 2014.
2
Luxembourg
Michel Porro/Getty Images
Luxembourg gave 1.07 percent of its GNI to development assistance in 2014.
1
Sweden
JONATHAN NACKSTRAND/AFP/Getty Images
Sweden gave 1.10 percent of its GNI to development assistance in 2014.

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