India, Oct. 9 -- Official development assistance (ODA) from major donor countries is projected to decline by 6.9 per cent in 2026, taking total aid to $152 billion, its lowest level since 2014, as developing economies face mounting pressure from slowing global growth, volatile capital flows and higher energy costs, according to a United Nations report.

The projected decline follows an 8.5 per cent fall in 2024 and a sharper 23.3 per cent contraction in 2025. ODA is expected to amount to just 0.23 per cent of donor countries' combined gross national income (GNI), less than a third of the internationally agreed target of 0.7 per cent.

The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), in its Trade and Development Report 2026...