Donors

When UNHCR was created by UN Member States in 1950, its mandate was clear but its means were modest: an initial budget of just $300,000 to help people displaced by war in Europe. Seventy-five years later, the world faces displacement on a scale never seen before. Today, more than 117 million people have been forced to flee their homes.

To meet growing humanitarian and development needs, UNHCR’s budget expanded over the decades, reaching over $10 billion in recent years. This growth reflected the complexity of crises and the breadth of our work. Looking ahead, as we adopt a strategic shift –focusing on core protection and life-saving assistance – we aim to deliver impact where it matters most. In line with this, our annual budget will decrease to $8.5 billion in 2026, reflecting a leaner, more targeted response in an era of constrained resources.

Our work is only possible thanks to the generosity of our donors. Donors can give UNHCR discretion over how their funds are used, or they can choose to “earmark” their funding to some degree for specific regions or programs.

We are grateful for all contributions but encourage donors to give as flexibly as possible. Flexible funding enables UNHCR to respond to emergencies, address neglected crises, and redeploy resources as priorities and needs evolve across contexts.

To learn more about how contributions are recorded and allocated, visit our contributions page.

Top donors

UNHCR is grateful for the financial support of governments, inter-governmental organizations, and the private sector. Governments and the European Union support our operations through a combination of bilateral aid, development agencies, and other institutional mechanisms.

Our top donors each contribute at least $20 million annually, playing a vital role in enabling life-saving protection and assistance worldwide.