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, foundations, 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:
Pooled Funding – which covers Thematic Funding, joint programmes and trust funds – is an integral part of Other Resources. 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.
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UNICEF income1 by type of resource partner, 2014–2019
In 2019, UNICEF’s total income was US$6.4 billion. The public sector contributed the largest share: US$4.74 billion from government, inter-governmental and inter-organizational partners, as well as Global Programme Partnerships.
Our top three resource partners in 2019 (by contributions received2) were the Governments of the United States of America (US$743 million), the United Kingdom (US$494 million) and Germany (US$464 million).
The private sector contributed US$1.45 billion from National Committees, UNICEF Country Office fundraising, and non-governmental organizations. The National Committees of the United States (US$221 million), Japan (US$145 million) and Germany (US$101 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
1Figures are based on "income," which here represents contributions received from the public sector and revenue from the private sector.
2"Contributions received" are cash and contributions in kind received from resource partners within a calendar year.