The CGD Podcast Inside the 2025 Commitment to Development Index with Ian Mitchell
Dec 11, 2025
Ian Mitchell, Senior Policy Fellow at the Center for Global Development, discusses the intriguing 2025 Commitment to Development Index. He reveals a decline in 24 of 38 countries' contributions to global development while highlighting emerging progress. Mitchell stresses the importance of moving beyond aid, analyzing harmful subsidies, and the need for transparent policies in projects like China's Belt and Road. He also explores migration's benefits and urges policymakers to utilize the CDI as a strategic tool for smarter, impactful policymaking.
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Top Performers: Sweden, Germany, Norway
- Sweden tops the index largely due to strong migration integration and environmental policies like high carbon pricing.
- Germany and Norway follow for investment standards, migration, and development finance strengths.
Aid Still Critical For Poorest Countries
- Aid remains transformational for the poorest ~50 countries, funding lifesaving health and sanitation interventions.
- Cutting aid risks long-term insecurity and missed development gains in those poorest countries.
Middle-Income Roles And China's Limits
- Middle-income G20 countries contribute differently: climate pathways and regional refugee responses can outperform some richer countries.
- China's Belt and Road matters but is less concessional and less transparent than it seems.