As governments gear up for the upcoming 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Devex took a deep dive into the world’s largest intergovernmental organization to understand its financial structure — from its revenue sources, top-earning agencies, major donors, to how it spends its billions.
Established in 1945 at the end of the Second World War, the U.N. has proven its importance in the realization of the global development agenda. It implements its activities through specialized agencies, programs, and funds, each performing specific functions and mandates.
In this analysis, we used the 2022 financial statistics data from the U.N. System Chief Executives Board for Coordination, CEB, to see the trends in the U.N.’s incomes and spending. Although there are figures for 2023 and 2024 elsewhere, CEB provides the most comprehensive overview of the U.N. system’s financial flows.