About Swedish aid
Published: August 31, 2020
Updated: July 9, 2025
The overall objective of Swedish development cooperation is to ensure that people living in poverty and oppression have the ability to improve their living conditions.
To meet global needs, the Government has developed a reform agenda for Swedish development assistance with new requirements for a long-term approach, transparency and effectiveness. The strategic framework ‘Development assistance for a new era – freedom, empowerment and sustainable growth’ applies from 2024.
The reform agenda is based on the overall objective of development assistance to improve the living conditions of people living in poverty and oppression. Through the reform agenda, the Government sets the thematic priorities for combating poverty in the upcoming years:
- Poverty reduction through job creation, trade and education
- Improving health for the most vulnerable
- Increased and more effective climate aid
- Promoting freedom and fighting oppression Increasing the effectiveness of climate aid
- Empowering women and girls
- Strengthening synergies between aid and migration policies
- Strengthening humanitarian support to save lives and alleviate suffering
Swedish development cooperation consists of several thousand programmes and projects. They are being conducted in different countries, with different themes and together with different partners.
Openaid shows data from agencies and ministries that control funds within the
Development assistance for a new era – freedom, empowerment and sustainable growth – Government.se