Funding to UNICEF
UNICEF relies on voluntary contributions to uphold our mission of reaching every child.
Resources to UNICEF’s programmes come from the voluntary contributions of governments, intergovernmental organizations, the private sector and individuals. UNICEF relies on this mixture of robust funding sources to uphold our mission of realizing the rights of every child, especially the most vulnerable.
Guided by the Sustainable Development Goals, our strategic plan aims to strengthen coherence in partnerships and in the delivery and measurement of outcomes. We work closely with partners on effective funding arrangements to ensure each dollar goes further to support children around the world.
Resources to UNICEF take the form of direct or indirect funding, people (volunteers, consultants and seconded personnel), partnerships, equipment and other in-kind donations. Our funding is categorized by:
- Core Resources for Results
- Other Resources (regular)
- Other Resources (emergency)
- UN inter-organizational arrangements
- Thematic Funding
Multi-year funding of all types allows UNICEF to improve the design and implementation of our programmes, increase the visibility of our advocacy efforts, and lower operational costs to deliver higher social returns on investment.
UNICEF income1 by type of resource partner, 2016-2021
In 2021, total contributions to UNICEF were US$8.1 billion. The public sector contributed the largest share: US$5.9 billion from government, inter-governmental and inter-organizational partners, as well as Global Programme Partnerships.
Our top three resource partners in 2021 (by contributions received) were the Governments of the United States of America (US$884 million), Germany (US$868 million) and the European Union (US$585 million).
Private sector contributions (from National Committees, individual donors, NGOs, foundations and more) amounted to US$2 billion. The National Committees of the United States (US$475 million), Japan (US$187 million) and Germany (US$145 million) were the top three private sector partners.
With this support, UNICEF delivered life-changing outcomes for children across the Sustainable Development Goals.
Results for children
1 Figures are based on "income," which here represents contributions received from public sector, revenue from private sector and other income.
2 Contributions received in cash and in kind.