Recipient governments might misuse the aid, preventing it from trickling down to those who would spend or invest it, or the money may be given on the condition that it is spent on goods or services from the donor country. And, even if development aid does spur GDP growth, this does not necessarily lead to better lives for the poorest citizens, especially in the short term.
有三个原因或能解释发展援助并不总能转变为GDP增长这一事实。受助国政府可能滥用援助致使援助无法抵达支出或投资者手中；援助金可能存在条件，必须花在来自援助国的商品和服务上。此外，即使发展援助确实刺激了GDP增长，也不一定会为最贫困人民带来更好的生活，特别是在短期。