As Member States meet in Copenhagen for the 76th session of the WHO Regional Committee for Europe, with the programme budget on the agenda, here is how WHO is financed, which partners provide the most, and why the type of funding matters.
Every contribution to WHO helps support countries and protect health in every corner of the globe. Countries in the WHO European Region have long championed a strong, sustainably financed WHO and many of them put this commitment into practice through flexible funding. In 2024–2025, they provided 92% of WHO’s core voluntary contributions, the unearmarked funding that lets WHO direct resources to where needs are greatest, including primary health care and emergency preparedness.
How WHO is financed
“Flexible funding” is made up of assessed contributions, core voluntary contributions and programme support costs.
“Assessed contributions” are the membership fee every Member State pays, calculated based on their wealth and population size. In May 2025, Member States agreed to raise assessed contributions by a further 20%. That was the second increase of this size and reflects their shared commitment to sustainable financing, in line with recommendations from the independent WHO Working Group on Sustainable Financing. Assessed contributions now cover about a quarter of WHO’s US$ 4.27 billion base budget for 2026–2027, and countries have committed to further increases by 2030–2031. For comparison, some of Europe’s biggest hospitals have budgets far exceeding US$ 4 billion.
“Earmarked voluntary contributions” come from Member States, the European Union and other intergovernmental organizations, foundations, development banks and partnerships. They are directed to specific diseases, programmes or countries, and are vital to WHO’s work. However, a high level of earmarking can make it harder for WHO to align its resources with the priorities set together with the Member States in the Programme Budget. That is why flexible funding is so valuable.
“Recent cuts in our funding forced us to reduce our budget and our workforce,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Gebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “We have now reached a point of stability, and we are fully funded for the current biennium, 2026–2027. However, most voluntary contributions remain earmarked, leaving pockets of poverty in parts of our work. That’s why the plan that Member States agreed to in 2022 to progressively increase assessed contributions to 50% of the base budget is so important.”
No strings attached
A small share of voluntary funding comes without conditions or earmarking. WHO calls this “core voluntary contributions”. Because it is not tied to a specific project or programme, WHO can use it where needs are greatest, cover areas that rarely attract dedicated support and fund emerging needs.
In 2024–2025, WHO received US$ 385 million in core voluntary contributions. Of this, US$ 356 million or 92% came from Member States in the WHO European Region. Nine of the 10 largest donors are from the Region.
The same donors remain in the top 10 list again in 2026–2027. By October 2026, WHO had received about US$ 192 million in core voluntary contributions for the biennium, 92% of it from Member States in the European Region.
“Flexible funding is what lets WHO respond where the need is greatest,” said Dr Corinne Capuano, Officer-in-Charge, WHO/Europe. “When our Member States provide unearmarked funding, they place their trust in us to put that money to work where it can have the biggest impact. That’s sustainable financing in practice, and we’re grateful to every Member State and partner that makes it possible.”
Where flexible funds go
By the end of 2025, WHO had allocated US$ 302.5 million of its 2024–2025 core voluntary contributions.
These funds are allocated according to need across all WHO regions and headquarters. The European Region received US$ 17 million, about 6%, which broadly reflects its share of the overall budget.
In the WHO European Region, the US$ 17 million supported the work of WHO/Europe, and country offices including in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, North Macedonia, Ukraine and Uzbekistan. The largest share, US$ 7.5 million, went to improving access to essential health services.
Support to WHO/Europe
WHO/Europe relies heavily on earmarked (not flexible) funding. In 2024–2025, specified and thematic contributions made up about 60% of its core budget funding, flexible funding made up the remaining 40%.
The European Union is WHO/Europe’s largest voluntary contributor and a key strategic partner. It provided US$ 53.4 million in 2024–2025 and, up to the end of July 2026, US$ 51.5 million for 2026–2027, in support of shared priorities for health across the Region. It is followed by Germany (US$ 21.6 million), Greece (US$ 13.5 million), Türkiye (US$ 8.3 million) and Romania (US$ 3.8 million). Kazakhstan, Switzerland, Sweden, the Islamic Development Bank and Gavi complete the top 10.
Germany provides a large share of its contribution to WHO/Europe with a high degree of flexibility. This allows WHO/Europe to direct this support to where it is most needed.
“Germany is a trusted partner that enables WHO to deliver where it matters most,” continued Dr Capuano. “Its flexible funding allows us to act quickly and direct resources to the most urgent health needs. We are grateful to Germany for its support and leadership in showing how flexible financing can translate into impact for health in our region.”
Other earmarked funding supports clearly defined areas of work. In 2024–2025, European Union funding focused on primary health care and essential services, mental health, health workforce, health data and digital health, and support for Ukraine. Greece and Romania supported WHO’s work in their own countries, and Türkiye funded health emergency preparedness.