Development cooperation appropriations
EUR 1,034 million is reserved for development cooperation appropriations under the state budget for 2025. The exclusive ODA budget item administered by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs is EUR 450 million.
Development cooperation in 2026
It is estimated that the appropriations budgeted for development cooperation for 202 6– a total of EUR 1,034 million – will correspond to 0.35 per cent of Finland’s gross national income (GNI).
The appropriations are divided into two categories: the exclusive ODA budget item administered by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other development cooperation.
Examples of the use of the ODA administered by the Foreign Ministry include bilateral development cooperation between Finland and its partner countries, support granted to UN agencies, development banks and Finnish CSOs, and humanitarian assistance. In statistics, funding for other development cooperation covers costs arising from the reception of refugees, Finland's contribution to the European Union’s development cooperation budget, and other disbursements counted as development assistance in various administrative sectors. It also includes an estimate of development financier Finnfund’s development policy investments and an estimate of the Foreign Ministry’s development policy loans and investments.
- Exclusive ODA managed by MFA 450 M€
- Other development cooperation (O) 584 M€
Download data file Source: MFA
The graphic presentation below illustrates Finland’s development cooperation appropriations as they are anticipated to grow in 2026–2029. The figures for 2026 are from the government’s budget, and the figures for 2027–2029 are based on the spending limits decision.
Download data file Source: MFA
Monitoring of development cooperation disbursements
More detailed information on Finland’s development cooperation disbursements is available on the OpenAid.fi website. The website shows where, how and when Finland’s development cooperation funds have been used. It includes ODA-eligible disbursements allocated by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and by other public bodies.
Information on government grant decisions is published on the tutkiavustuksia.fi website (in Finnish). For example, development cooperation funds for the projects and programmes of civil society organisations are awarded as discretionary government grants.
In development funding, the figure that is most closely monitored internationally is ODA as a percentage of gross national income (GNI).
Download data file Source: MFA
Internationally, the OECD Development Assistance Committee (DAC) monitors its member countries’ ODA performance based on the reports submitted to it. Statistics showing OECD/DAC member countries' development cooperation funding on DAC’s website.
Statistics on Finland's development assistance disbursements in the past decades:
Finland's development cooperation appropriations and disbursements 1989–2025 (PDF, 227 KB). The file includes the following tables:
- Table 1: Development cooperation appropriations and disbursements in 1989–2025
- Table 2: Public development cooperation disbursements in 2014–2025; exclusive ODA budget item administered by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs by budget allocation tables, and other development cooperation instalments.
- Table 3: Development cooperation disbursements to the least developed countries in 2014–2024.
Disbursements to the main partner countries, and multilateral partners and multilateral support 2017–2025 (PDF, 237 KB). The file includes the following tables:
- Table 4: Development cooperation disbursements to the main partner countries in 2017–2025.
- Table 5: Core funding to multilateral cooperation channels, disbursements counted as development cooperation in 2014–2025.
In development cooperation, the appropriations allocated for a given year differ from the funds actually used (i.e. the disbursements), because the appropriations are so-called deferrable appropriations. This means that if, for some reason, all allocated appropriations cannot be used in the first year, they will remain available during the next two years.
Development cooperation is often conducted in difficult circumstances. It is therefore important that the timeframes are flexible when it comes to the use of the appropriations. On the other hand, it takes years to achieve lasting development results, which is why long-term commitment to cooperation is essential.
