Development happened. Did aid help?

During the “development era” nearly every indicator of human well-being improved massively for people living in “developing” countries. This improvement was due to a radical increase over the previous pace of progress. This chapter explores these advances as well as the role, if any, aid played in the successes of development. While many argue that development and development economics emphasized economic growth over human development, the outcomes in health and education show the opposite, with much more progress than expected from growth alone. Trying to find a link between aid and development, however, is problematic. The main aid impact may be at the global level rather than due to financial flows country by country. Moreover, the “normative isomorphism” highlighted by others often just represents the preferences of a minority that captures an agenda that often reflects the interests of the “West” rather than legitimate needs and concerns of the “South.”