The CGD Podcast: Inside the 2025 Commitment to Development Index with Ian Mitchell
Center for Global Development | December 11, 2025
Host: Anita Cappelli (Director of Policy Outreach Europe, CGD)
Guest: Ian Mitchell (Senior Policy Fellow, CGD; Lead Author of the CDI)
Episode Overview
This episode delves into the 2025 edition of the Commitment to Development Index (CDI), CGD’s comprehensive metric for tracking how wealthy countries’ policies promote or undermine development in poorer nations. Host Anita Cappelli interviews Ian Mitchell about the latest trends, policy shifts, and standout performances among the 38 ranked countries, and how the CDI can be a vital tool for researchers, advocates, and policymakers alike.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
What is the Commitment to Development Index (CDI)?
- Purpose: To assess leading economies on how their policies affect people in poor countries, not just through aid, but across a broad spectrum of policies.
- Eight Policy Areas Measured:
- Development finance (aid)
- Migration
- Trade
- Investment
- Technology
- Environment
- Security
- Health
— [01:43]
“The CDI is a tool to assess countries and what their policies are doing for international development, and particularly what they do for people in the poorest countries in the world.”
– Ian Mitchell, [01:43]
Main Trends from the 2025 CDI
- Backsliding Among Donors:
- 24 out of 38 countries have reduced their positive impact since the last assessment; 9 of the top 10 ranked countries did worse on key indicators, not just in aid, but also in areas like security, trade, and migration. — [02:31–03:47]
- Neglected Policies Beyond Aid:
- There is an overemphasis on official aid when trade, subsidies, and climate policies can have as much or more impact on development.
- Subsidies Issue:
- Agriculture subsidies hurt low-income farmers.
- Fossil fuel subsidies worsened due to the fallout from the Ukraine crisis, are slow to decrease even as energy prices fall, and are a prime area for G7/G20 improvements.
- Fisheries subsidies destructive to marine resources.
Country Standouts & Rankings
- Sweden:
- Ranked first overall despite declines across five of eight areas.
- Strong on migrant integration and environmental leadership (high carbon price).
- Germany:
- Second overall, top G7 and G20 country.
- Praised for investment standards, open trade policies, and contributions to migration.
- Norway:
- Third; the only top-10 country to increase its CDI contribution.
- Strengths: development finance, health, investment; room to grow on trade/environment.
- Finland:
- Fourth place, strong across all areas, especially targeting development finance.
- Luxembourg and Ireland:
- Biggest climbers this year. Luxembourg (10th) for exceeding ODA target, peacekeeping, and focusing aid well. Ireland (19th) for better migration and modest aid increases despite high emissions.
- South Africa:
- Best-scoring middle-income country due to its openness to refugees.
- Notable Middle-Income Trends:
- India, with low per capita emissions, is on a more sustainable path than most high-income countries.
- Brazil, Australia, Indonesia, Turkey have reduced fossil fuel subsidies despite energy price pressures.
- China:
- Transparency issues and less concessional finance mean BRI does less for development than publicized.
— [04:31–10:31], [16:35]
- Transparency issues and less concessional finance mean BRI does less for development than publicized.
“Norway...the only country in our top 10 who increased their contribution between this edition and the last one. I think they're in a leadership role at the moment.”
– Ian Mitchell, [04:31]
Why Aid Still Matters—But the Poorest First
- Aid is crucial for the world’s poorest 50 countries; grants enable vital health, nutrition, and sanitation advances—things not always addressed by trade or investment.
- Cuts in aid now may lead to greater insecurity and missed opportunities. — [06:17]
“For the very poorest countries in the world… the impact that grant aid can have… is enormous.”
– Ian Mitchell, [06:17]
Fossil Fuel Subsidies & Environmental Impacts
- Progress on fishing subsidies via WTO agreements.
- Fossil fuel subsidies surged after the Ukraine invasion; now an urgent area for international alignment as energy prices fall.
- US not the worst offender; potential G20/G7 leadership role possible. — [12:46]–[14:22]
“Globally we’re spending hundreds of billions of dollars on subsidizing fossil fuels. So we're making the climate worse and we're essentially wasting money on those industries.”
– Ian Mitchell, [13:38]
The US: Where It Stands and Where It Could Lead
- US dropped two CDI places even with Biden-era data due to declining aid.
- US strong in investment standards, transparent anti-corruption efforts, and contributions to global security (e.g. keeping sea lanes open). — [14:45]
“The US make a major contribution... to sea lanes and that’s very relevant at the moment.”
– Ian Mitchell, [15:37]
Other Progressive Policy Examples
- Argentina, Australia, Indonesia, Turkey, Brazil:
- Reduced fossil fuel subsidies (contrary to trend elsewhere).
- New Zealand & Chile:
- Leading examples in eliminating harmful fisheries subsidies; proof that competitive fishing industries don’t require environmental harm. — [17:24]
“New Zealand and Chile... don’t need to provide subsidies to their fishing industries for them to be successful, and they’re a good example to others.”
– Ian Mitchell, [18:14]
Research and Development (R&D) as a Global Good
- R&D investments can produce global benefits (e.g. vaccines, solar tech).
- The CDI rewards public and incentivized private R&D, especially on problems affecting lower-income countries. — [18:51–20:54]
“Research and development budgets are very significant. They run to hundreds of billions a year. They’re multiples of the aid budget.”
– Ian Mitchell, [20:38]
Migration & Integration: A Major Lever for Development
- Migration and remittances are vital for both individuals and their home countries.
- Integration (language, labor market, education access) is key to maximizing benefits; Sweden excels here.
- The CDI distinguishes between economic migrants and refugees; inflows of Ukrainian refugees boosted index scores but overall refugee acceptance remains uneven. — [20:54–23:06]
“When people move between countries… they benefit themselves, often the country that is receiving them… and it’s a big driver of progress in lower income countries.”
– Ian Mitchell, [21:21]
Memorable Quotes & Moments
-
On Misplaced Aid Cuts:
“We're making a, a false economy… by cutting those aid budgets now because in years to come, the impacts that money would have had will not happen and we'll be in a less safe, less secure world.”
– Ian Mitchell, [07:13] -
On CDI as a Tool for Policymakers:
“We often say when we speak to officials, please use the CDI as a prompt when you talk to other departments… it's an objective basis to say, look, we're not doing as well as other countries.”
– Ian Mitchell, [24:07] -
On What He’d Change with a Magic Wand:
“I would like to see a serious economic framework around carbon emissions...We need to tax carbon emissions and we can’t afford to spend our way through it. Subsidies would be too expensive.”
– Ian Mitchell, [25:28]
Important Segment Timestamps
- [01:43] — Introduction to the CDI and its eight policy areas.
- [02:31] — Big picture findings of the 2025 CDI; donor backsliding.
- [04:31] — Country rankings and the best performers.
- [06:17] — Why aid still matters for the poorest countries.
- [08:12] — Why G20 inclusion matters; policy lessons from the global south.
- [10:53] — Small country successes (Finland, Luxembourg, Ireland).
- [12:46] — Environmental trends and the fossil fuel subsidy problem.
- [14:45] — US results and relevance as G20 chair.
- [16:35] — Countries successfully reducing fossil fuel subsidies.
- [17:24] — Harmful fishing subsidies explained.
- [18:51] — The value of R&D as a development policy.
- [20:54] — Migration's development impact; integration best practices.
- [23:43] — How listeners and policymakers can use the CDI.
- [25:28] — Ian Mitchell's "magic wand" policy wish: carbon pricing and trading.
How to Use the CDI
- For Policy Advocates:
Use the CDI as a diagnostic tool to identify new levers for action when aid is off the table. - For Policymakers:
Benchmark national performance and spur interdepartmental collaboration using CDI data and country reports. - For Researchers/Students:
Understand holistic impacts and overlooked policies shaping development outcomes.
“We sometimes say don't take it literally, but take it seriously.”
– Ian Mitchell, [24:57]
Summary prepared for those looking for actionable insight and evidence-based narratives on international development leadership, priorities, and missed opportunities, as explored through the lens of the 2025 Commitment to Development Index.