What do aid recipients want? Public attitudes toward foreign aid in developing countries

• Published in: World development 2025-02, Vol.186, p.106815, Article 106815
• Main Authors: Kim, Sung Eun, Park, Jong Hee, Rhee, Inbok, Yang, Joonseok
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Donor country; Foreign aid; Public Opinion; Recipient country
• ISSN: 0305-750X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.worlddev.2024.106815

•This research investigates what factors of foreign aid affect public attitudes toward foreign aid in recipient countries.•Using conjoint experiments in seven recipient countries, we found people prefer aid from democratic and transparent donors.•Further analysis reveals recipients and donors agree on preferring democratic, transparent, and multilateral aid.•However, preferences for aid types and delivery mechanisms can differ between recipient and donor countries.•These findings emphasize understanding both recipient and donor perspectives in foreign aid design and implementation. Individuals in developing countries are the ultimate end users of foreign aid. While the international donor community has emphasized the importance of aligning aid with recipient countries’ preferences, the literature on public opinion and foreign aid has remained largely focused on donors. Using an original conjoint experiment conducted in seven developing countries, we examine the determinants of public attitudes toward foreign aid in recipient countries. We find that the characteristics of donor countries and foreign aid projects significantly influence recipient attitudes, often more than the size of the aid packages themselves. Individuals in recipient countries consistently prefer aid from democracies and donors with transparent aid agencies, as well as aid delivered by international organizations rather than directly from donor countries’ aid agencies. These findings underscore the importance of multilateral aid agencies in aligning the preferences of donors and recipients.