Japan has provided some $221 billion in official development assistance to 185 nations since 1954, the Foreign Ministry said Friday in releasing its annual white paper on ODA.
The white paper covers the history of Japanese ODA, which marks its 50th anniversary this year, and how it has contributed to the development and welfare of developing countries.
The paper notes that Japan provided $8.9 billion in aid in 2003, down 4.3 percent from the previous year.