Before the 1980s, Maldives received limited assistance from certain UN specialized agencies. Much of the external help came from Arab oil-producing states, notably Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates, for use on an ad hoc basis rather than as part of comprehensive development planning. With local impetus in the 1980s from the developmental commitment of the Gayoom presidency to raise the standard of living in the outer islands, Maldives received an annual average of US$15.5 million in external assistance in the form of grants and loans. For example, in 1988 bilateral donors accounted for approximately 73 percent of disbursements the UN, 20 percent other multilateral sources, 5 percent and nongovernmental organizations, about 2 percent.

Foreign aid in 1992 was approximately US$11.6 million and came from international agencies such as the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank and individual countries, particularly Japan--in 1991 Japan was Maldives's largest aid donor. Other than humanitarian aid, loans and grants went for such purposes as education, health, transportation, fisheries, and harbor development. As a result of the severe damage caused by the 1991 monsoon, Maldives received relief aid from India, Pakistan, the United States, and a number of other countries.

Data as of August 1994