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14 October 2026
Cuts all round: Aid to Southeast Asia hits a decade low
Official development finance to Southeast Asia has fallen to its lowest level in a decade, just as the region faces a run of overlapping economic shocks. Contrary to some expectations, China isn’t stepping into the gap left by retreating traditional donors, such as Japan and the United States.
In this episode of Development Futures, the Lowy Institute's Lead Economist and Director of the Indo-Pacific Development Centre Roland Rajah speaks with Rahul Nath and Taili Ni, two of the researchers behind the Lowy Institute’s Southeast Asia Aid Map, about what the latest data shows and what developments to watch.
You can read the full report or explore the interactive map at https:// (Opens in new window)seamap.lowyinstitute.org/ (Opens in new window)
Featuring
Roland Rajah
Roland Rajah is Lead Economist and Director of the Indo-Pacific Development Centre at the Lowy Institute, focusing on economic development challenges across Southeast Asia, the Pacific Islands, and South Asia. His research spans macroeconomics, aid and development finance, geoeconomics, and regional integration.
Rahul Nath
Dr Rahul Nath is a Research Fellow at the Lowy Institute’s Indo-Pacific Development Centre and is responsible for the Institute’s Southeast Asia Aid Map. His research areas include aid and development policy, development finance, sovereign debt, macroeconomic dynamics, multilateral development banks, and climate finance.
Taili Ni
Taili Ni is a Research Associate in the Indo-Pacific Development Centre at the Lowy Institute, working on the Southeast Asia Aid Map. Her work focuses on tracking and analysing foreign aid and development finance flows to Southeast Asia.