Who’s funding the World Health Organization?
As the 78th WHA begins in Geneva, Devex takes a deep dive into WHO’s leading donors over the past decade.
Today marks the start of the 78th World Health Assembly, an annual gathering of the World Health Organization’s member states where they tackle pressing health issues and policies and discuss the organization’s programs and budget. Ahead of the forum, WHO already expects budget constraints following the U.S. government’s decision to significantly cut its multilateral contributions, particularly to the United Nations system. For years, the U.S. was the agency’s top backer. But exactly how much of its annual revenue comes from U.S. aid, and where does the U.N.’s lead public health agency get the rest of its money? We looked into the financial statistics data from the U.N. System Chief Executives Board for Coordination, or CEB, for the answers. Our analysis covers a 10-year period, from 2014 to 2023, and all figures were converted to 2019 U.S. dollar constant prices. We opted to use 2019 as a base year since it provides the most normal economic conditions in pre-COVID-19 pandemic years, which allows for more precise year-on-year comparisons. The top-level data WHO received nearly $31.7 billion between 2014 and 2023, or an average of about $3.2 billion annually. Finances dipped from 2014 to 2016, then increased sharply until 2020 — despite falling U.S. contributions. Funding fell again during the pandemic, before dropping even more sharply in 2023. <div class='tableauPlaceholder' id='viz1747640767934' style='position: relative'><noscript><a href='#'><img alt='Dashboard 1 (2) ' src='https://public.tableau.com/static/images/WH/WHOstotalrevenuefrom2014to2023/Dashboard12/1_rss.png' style='border: none' /></a></noscript><object class='tableauViz' style='display:none;'><param name='host_url' value='https%3A%2F%2Fpublic.tableau.com%2F' /> <param name='embed_code_version' value='3' /> <param name='site_root' value='' /><param name='name' value='WHOstotalrevenuefrom2014to2023/Dashboard12' /><param name='tabs' value='no' /><param name='toolbar' value='yes' /><param name='static_image' value='https://public.tableau.com/static/images/WH/WHOstotalrevenuefrom2014to2023/Dashboard12/1.png' /> <param name='animate_transition' value='yes' /><param name='display_static_image' value='yes' /><param name='display_spinner' value='yes' /><param name='display_overlay' value='yes' /><param name='display_count' value='yes' /><param name='language' value='en-US' /><param name='device' value='desktop' /><param name='showShareOptions' value='false' /></object></div> <script type='text/javascript'> var divElement = document.getElementById('viz1747640767934'); var vizElement = divElement.getElementsByTagName('object')[0]; if ( divElement.offsetWidth > 800 ) { vizElement.style.width='600px';vizElement.style.height='477px';} else if ( divElement.offsetWidth > 500 ) { vizElement.style.width='600px';vizElement.style.height='477px';} else { vizElement.style.width='100%';vizElement.style.height='727px';} var scriptElement = document.createElement('script'); scriptElement.src = 'https://public.tableau.com/javascripts/api/viz_v1.js'; vizElement.parentNode.insertBefore(scriptElement, vizElement); </script> <i style=font-style: georgia;”>WHO’s total revenue from 2014 to 2023, based on CEB data.</i> WHO depends on voluntary contributions The U.N. system is mostly funded through mandatory and voluntary contributions — mostly from national governments — and WHO is among those that largely rely on the latter. Around 78.1% of WHO’s total revenue from 2014 to 2023, worth almost $25 billion, came from voluntary noncore contributions, which are earmarked for specific recipients, sectors, or programs. In 2020, WHO recorded its biggest earnings from this category relative to its total revenue, at $3.7 billion, or 86.8%. The remaining revenue sources were: assessed contributions, at $4.8 billion, or 15.7% of the total in the 10-year period; unearmarked voluntary contributions at $1.3 billion, or 4.2%; and other revenue sources — a catch-all category that can include events or business income — at $610.3 million, or 2%. <div class='tableauPlaceholder' id='viz1747640872962' style='position: relative'><noscript><a href='#'><img alt='Dashboard 1 ' src='https://public.tableau.com/static/images/DC/DC2KPWBKH/1_rss.png' style='border: none' /></a></noscript><object class='tableauViz' style='display:none;'><param name='host_url' value='https%3A%2F%2Fpublic.tableau.com%2F' /> <param name='embed_code_version' value='3' /> <param name='path' value='shared/DC2KPWBKH' /> <param name='toolbar' value='yes' /><param name='static_image' value='https://public.tableau.com/static/images/DC/DC2KPWBKH/1.png' /> <param name='animate_transition' value='yes' /><param name='display_static_image' value='yes' /><param name='display_spinner' value='yes' /><param name='display_overlay' value='yes' /><param name='display_count' value='yes' /><param name='language' value='en-US' /><param name='filter' value='publish=yes' /><param name='device' value='desktop' /><param name='showShareOptions' value='false' /></object></div> <script type='text/javascript'> var divElement = document.getElementById('viz1747640872962'); var vizElement = divElement.getElementsByTagName('object')[0]; if ( divElement.offsetWidth > 800 ) { vizElement.style.width='600px';vizElement.style.height='477px';} else if ( divElement.offsetWidth > 500 ) { vizElement.style.width='600px';vizElement.style.height='477px';} else { vizElement.style.width='100%';vizElement.style.height='727px';} var scriptElement = document.createElement('script'); scriptElement.src = 'https://public.tableau.com/javascripts/api/viz_v1.js'; vizElement.parentNode.insertBefore(scriptElement, vizElement); </script> <i style=font-style: georgia;”>WHO’s total revenue by contribution type from 2014 to 2023, based on CEB data.</i> The top bilateral donors The U.S. was WHO’s top bilateral donor for most years during the 10-year period, except in 2020 and 2021, when its contributions dipped following President Donald Trump’s withdrawal from the agency during his first term in office. Overall, U.S. contributions to WHO totaled $4.6 billion, peaking at $745 million in 2022, which accounted for 19.6% of the agency’s total revenue that year. The country’s lowest giving was in 2020, at $229.5 million, or 5.4% of the total. Germany ranked next among WHO’s top bilateral backers, with a total contribution of $2.7 billion. In 2020, Germany nearly quadrupled its contribution to WHO, amounting to $627.7 million, which softened the blow of the U.S.’ significant cut that year. It remained around that level until 2022, then returned to the pre-pandemic level the following year, at $217.8 million. The U.K., which has also announced a reduction in its aid spending, was among the most generous bilateral donors to WHO, with $2.1 billion in total contributions. The data shows quite a gap between the top three donors and the succeeding bilateral donors. Japan, which ranked fourth, contributed a total of $968.1 million, which is nearly a third of Germany’s funding. Canada followed, with $724.3 million; Norway, with $571 million; and China, with $527.8 million. Although it is unlikely that the U.S. and U.K. will completely defund WHO since they are still required to make assessed contributions, all the other bilateral donors would need to at least double their total contributions to make up for potential revenue loss. <div class='tableauPlaceholder' id='viz1747640969822' style='position: relative'><noscript><a href='#'><img alt='Dashboard 1 ' src='https://public.tableau.com/static/images/WH/WHOsbilateraldonorsfrom2014to2023/Dashboard1/1_rss.png' style='border: none' /></a></noscript><object class='tableauViz' style='display:none;'><param name='host_url' value='https%3A%2F%2Fpublic.tableau.com%2F' /> <param name='embed_code_version' value='3' /> <param name='site_root' value='' /><param name='name' value='WHOsbilateraldonorsfrom2014to2023/Dashboard1' /><param name='tabs' value='no' /><param name='toolbar' value='yes' /><param name='static_image' value='https://public.tableau.com/static/images/WH/WHOsbilateraldonorsfrom2014to2023/Dashboard1/1.png' /> <param name='animate_transition' value='yes' /><param name='display_static_image' value='yes' /><param name='display_spinner' value='yes' /><param name='display_overlay' value='yes' /><param name='display_count' value='yes' /><param name='language' value='en-US' /><param name='filter' value='publish=yes' /><param name='device' value='desktop' /><param name='showShareOptions' value='false' /></object></div> <script type='text/javascript'> var divElement = document.getElementById('viz1747640969822'); var vizElement = divElement.getElementsByTagName('object')[0]; if ( divElement.offsetWidth > 800 ) { vizElement.style.width='600px';vizElement.style.height='827px';} else if ( divElement.offsetWidth > 500 ) { vizElement.style.width='600px';vizElement.style.height='827px';} else { vizElement.style.width='100%';vizElement.style.height='827px';} var scriptElement = document.createElement('script'); scriptElement.src = 'https://public.tableau.com/javascripts/api/viz_v1.js'; vizElement.parentNode.insertBefore(scriptElement, vizElement); </script> <i style=font-style: georgia;”>WHO's bilateral donors from 2014 to 2023, based on CEB data.</i> How much do nonbilateral donors contribute? WHO also gets a significant amount from nonbilateral donors such as multilateral agencies and private foundations. Total recorded income from these sources was $7.3 billion but this may not include every source, just the largest. Among them, the largest sum, worth almost $3 billion, came from the Gates Foundation. This places the Gates Foundation next to the U.S. as WHO’s overall top donor. The foundation itself noted that it’s “not right” that WHO had to heavily rely on its large contributions, which some global experts said highlights how underfunded the agency really is. Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance ranked next among the top nonbilateral donors, at $1.4 billion. Then the European Union, at $1.3 billion in the 10-year period. This is followed by OCHA, primarily through flash appeals, at $1 billion; then the World Bank Group, at $448.5 million. <div class='tableauPlaceholder' id='viz1747641038189' style='position: relative'><noscript><a href='#'><img alt='Dashboard 1 ' src='https://public.tableau.com/static/images/WH/WHOsnon-bilateraldonorsfrom2014to2023/Dashboard1/1_rss.png' style='border: none' /></a></noscript><object class='tableauViz' style='display:none;'><param name='host_url' value='https%3A%2F%2Fpublic.tableau.com%2F' /> <param name='embed_code_version' value='3' /> <param name='site_root' value='' /><param name='name' value='WHOsnon-bilateraldonorsfrom2014to2023/Dashboard1' /><param name='tabs' value='no' /><param name='toolbar' value='yes' /><param name='static_image' value='https://public.tableau.com/static/images/WH/WHOsnon-bilateraldonorsfrom2014to2023/Dashboard1/1.png' /> <param name='animate_transition' value='yes' /><param name='display_static_image' value='yes' /><param name='display_spinner' value='yes' /><param name='display_overlay' value='yes' /><param name='display_count' value='yes' /><param name='language' value='en-US' /><param name='filter' value='publish=yes' /><param name='device' value='desktop' /><param name='showShareOptions' value='false' /></object></div> <script type='text/javascript'> var divElement = document.getElementById('viz1747641038189'); var vizElement = divElement.getElementsByTagName('object')[0]; if ( divElement.offsetWidth > 800 ) { vizElement.style.width='600px';vizElement.style.height='627px';} else if ( divElement.offsetWidth > 500 ) { vizElement.style.width='600px';vizElement.style.height='627px';} else { vizElement.style.width='100%';vizElement.style.height='727px';} var scriptElement = document.createElement('script'); scriptElement.src = 'https://public.tableau.com/javascripts/api/viz_v1.js'; vizElement.parentNode.insertBefore(scriptElement, vizElement); </script> <i style=font-style: georgia;”>WHO's top nonbilateral donors from 2014 to 2023, based on CEB data.</i> Try out Devex Pro Funding today with a free five-day trial, and explore funding opportunities from over 850 sources in addition to our analysis and news content.
Today marks the start of the 78th World Health Assembly, an annual gathering of the World Health Organization’s member states where they tackle pressing health issues and policies and discuss the organization’s programs and budget.
Ahead of the forum, WHO already expects budget constraints following the U.S. government’s decision to significantly cut its multilateral contributions, particularly to the United Nations system.
For years, the U.S. was the agency’s top backer. But exactly how much of its annual revenue comes from U.S. aid, and where does the U.N.’s lead public health agency get the rest of its money? We looked into the financial statistics data from the U.N. System Chief Executives Board for Coordination, or CEB, for the answers.
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Miguel Tamonan is a Senior Development Analyst at Devex, where he analyzes data from public and private donors to produce content and special reports for Pro and Pro Funding readers. He has a bachelor’s degree in Political Science with a Major in International Relations from the Polytechnic University of the Philippines.
