Panama. Refugees and migrants brave hazardous jungles of Darien Gap on their way north

Budget and Expenditure

UNHCR operates on an annual budget designed to address global needs.

Funding appeals are made based on these approved budgets, and the organization's expenditure depends on the amount and quality of the funding received.

This page provides detailed budget and expenditure information dating back to 2015.

In Panama, refugees and migrants brave the hazardous jungles of the Darien Gap on their way north.

*The budget information on this page is regularly updated every month, while expenditure information is updated once a year with the launch of the Global Report.

UNHCR's activities are based on an annual budget that reflects global needs. It includes a budget for the coming calendar year, which is submitted to the UNHCR Executive Committee for approval in October, and subsequent Supplementary Budgets that reflect needs arising from new emergencies during the year.

UNHCR appeals for funding on the basis of these approved budgets, and its expenditure is a function of the quantity and quality of funding that it receives.

Country Operational Technical Support (COTS)

As of 2024, country and regional programmes include a budget line for country operational technical support. This refers to a set of activities that directly benefit operations in the achievement of their intended results and that were previous reported under global programmes or Headquarters.

The 2025 budget of $155.1 million for the country operational technical support reflects a decrease of $5 million, or 3%, compared to the 2024 current budget of $160.0 million. This reduction is primarily due to a rationalization of supply chain management.

Global budget

2025

$10.632 billion

Total expenditure

Budget by region

Global budget | 2025