2018 PRESS : FUNDING STATISTICAL DEVELOPMENT IN the ASIA-PACIFIC REGION

PRESS Overview

2018 PRESS: Key trends 623 Million USD total commitments The 2018 PRESS highlights the international community’s support to statistics in 2016. 623 Million USD total commitments 0.33% of ODA for statistics 88% of funding from 10 donors Asia-Pacific region received only 11% of commitments from 2014-2016, compared with other regions. Support to statistics slightly increased in 2016. In 2016, developing countries around the world received commitments to statistical development of about USD 623 million. It marks a 5% increase from 2015; this led to a rise in the share of official development assistance (ODA) dedicated to statistics, from 0.30% in 2015 to 0.33% in 2016. This number is expected to increase with more projects being reported in the next round. However, the current level of commitments is still insufficient to meet the need of recipient countries and the implementation of the Cape Town Global Action Plan. With the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) agenda and emergence of philanthropic donors, more contributions are expected in the next few years.

Statistical funding: Asia-Pacific region 2 Statistical funding: Asia-Pacific region

Commitments to statistics received by Asia-Pacific Funding for statistical development in Asia-Pacific region declined in 2014-2016 Commitments to statistics received by Asia-Pacific Support to statistics has remained stable globally but the share of Asia-Pacific region in global funding for statistical development has decreased during the 2014-2016 period to 11% compared with the 24% share in 2013-2015. Some large projects committed in 2013 are no longer captured in the current round of estimates specifically the Socio-Demographic and Economic Survey of Afghanistan (costing $47M) and the development of the Bangladesh Poverty Database (estimated $40M). Source: Partner Report on Support to Statistics 2018 http://www.paris21.org/press2018

Top 5 recipient countries in Asia-Pacific (2014-2016) No Pacific country in top 5 The top 5 recipient countries in the Asia-Pacific region (Turkey, Palestinian Authority, Myanmar, Lebanon, Pakistan) received 38% of commitments.  Source: Partner Report on Support to Statistics 2018 http://www.paris21.org/press2018

Environmental Statistics is still overlooked by donors Commitments to statistics by area of statistical activities, Asia-Pacific General statistical items and methodology received the most support by statistical area from 2014-2016. Source: Partner Report on Support to Statistics 2018 http://www.paris21.org/press2018

Diversified list of top statistics donors in Asia-Pacific Top 5 donors (World Bank, Eurostat, Switzerland, Australia, Korea) contributed 58% of total commitments received by Asia Pacific, lowest among other regions. This indicates a trend towards diversifying of donors. With more philanthropic donors getting involved in statistical development, the commitments to Asia Pacific could rise in coming years. Source: Partner Report on Support to Statistics 2018 http://www.paris21.org/press2018

Statistical funding: SIDS 3 Statistical funding: SIDS

Commitments to SIDS remained stagnant over five years, in million USD Commitments to Small Island Developing States (SIDS) remain at a low level despite the SDGs’ focus on the environment and climate change. Over the past three years, SIDS covered in PRESS received commitments worth approximately USD 33 million in total (see Figure 9). The expected rise in commitments following SDG implementation did not materialise in 2016. Source: Partner Report on Support to Statistics 2018 http://www.paris21.org/press2018

Top 10 SIDS Recipients in 2014-2016 Only 8 SIDS received more than 1M USD in statistics funding (2014-2016) Top 10 SIDS Recipients in 2014-2016 Timor-Leste and Solomon Islands – the only two Pacific SIDS that received more than USD 1 million of statistics funding between 2014 and 2016 Most SIDS are lagging behind in terms of building statistical infrastructure and developing statistical planning. Only two out of nine SIDS have their national strategy for development of statistics fully funded and under implementation. The lack of resources in SIDS could be mitigated by growing interests in data and statistics of philanthropic foundations. In 2015, for example, the California-based Christensen Fund awarded a grant of USD 345 000 to the National Statistics Office of Vanuatu to support its Melanesian Wellbeing Indicators project, as well as other Melanesian countries to complete pilot studies. Source: Partner Report on Support to Statistics 2018 http://www.paris21.org/press2018

Top 10 Donors for SIDS The commitments to SIDS are more concentrated in top donors than global donors Over 70% of aid to SIDS came from five major donors: European Commission/EUROSTAT, IMF, Australia, the World Bank and UNFPA. The lack of resources in SIDS could be mitigated by growing interests in data and statistics of philanthropic foundations. In 2015, for example, the California-based Christensen Fund awarded a grant of USD 345 000 to the National Statistics Office of Vanuatu to support its Melanesian Wellbeing Indicators project, as well as other Melanesian countries to complete pilot studies (OECD, 2018b) Source: Partner Report on Support to Statistics 2018 http://www.paris21.org/press2018

Statistical funding: Gender 4 Statistical funding: Gender

Share of projects with gender statistics component Financing for gender statistics, 2016 Share of projects with gender statistics component Source: Partner Report on Support to Statistics 2018 http://www.paris21.org/press2018

Share of projects with gender statistics component Financing for gender statistics, 2016 Share of projects with gender statistics component Source: Partner Report on Support to Statistics 2018 http://www.paris21.org/press2018