New data shows China's aid dominance in the Pacific is being overstated.

Australian think‑tank, the Lowy Institute, has crunched seven years of data covering 13,000 projects in 14 pacific countries.

Radio NZ reports the data shows Australia and New Zealand have pumped the vast majority of money into the region ‑ totaling $7.79 billion since 2011 ‑ making up 55 percent of all aid to the Pacific.

China pales in comparison ‑ putting in $1.26b ‑ that's just eight percent of total aid since 2011.

Much of the political rhetoric around aid to the region is that China is dominant and trying to buy influence.

The Lowy Institute data shows that since 2011, China has provided $853 million in loans to the region, but that was less than the amount that the World Bank and Asian Development Bank have provided in loans ‑ which totals just over a billion dollars.

The institute also reports while China put in just eight percent of total aid, it does focus on status projects and infrastructure lending that inflate its presence in the region.

[Source: Radio NZ]