Mobilising finance at scale is essential to halt and reverse biodiversity loss. Drawing on currently available data, this paper estimates global biodiversity finance from all sources – public and private, domestic and international. The paper also identifies opportunities to improve the consistency, international comparability, coverage and transparency of biodiversity finance data across countries.
An overview of global biodiversity finance
Introduction
Key figures
USD 46-64 billion
Annual public domestic biodiversity finance
USD 16 billion
Annual public international biodiversity finance
USD 13 billion
Annual private biodiversity finance
Global biodiversity finance reached an estimated USD 75-92 billion per year during 2023-2025
Global biodiversity finance averaged USD 75-92 billion per year over 2023-2025. Domestic public expenditure accounts for the largest share of finance, while international public finance and private finance from both domestic and international sources contribute smaller but important amounts.
Global trends suggest biodiversity finance is increasing across public and private sources
Time-series data indicate biodiversity finance is increasing. Public domestic expenditure with biodiversity as its primary purpose increased by 16% between 2018-20 and 2023-24 across the 63 countries that have consistent time-series data. International public finance for biodiversity rose by 94%. Private investment in biodiversity increased by 73% between 2018-20 and 2023-25.
Data gaps and inconsistent reporting limit international comparability and understanding of global progress
Current biodiversity finance data remain incomplete, inconsistent and not always transparent. Reporting approaches vary across countries, and information on methodologies is often limited, making it difficult to compare results and assess collective progress.
Reporting gaps also persist: 40 countries did not report public domestic biodiversity expenditure to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), despite having relevant expenditure data available through COFOG. Improving the consistency, comparability, coverage and transparency of biodiversity finance data is essential to strengthen accountability and support better policy decisions.
What can governments do to improve biodiversity finance data and reporting?
Encourage countries to disaggregate reporting on biodiversity finance into ‘direct’ and ‘indirect’ finance across all public domestic, public international and private finance, and align reporting approaches with international statistical classifications such as COFOG and Classifications of Environmental Purposes (CEP) to improve comparability.
Increase country coverage by encouraging Parties to report existing biodiversity expenditure data already available in international statistical classifications and reporting frameworks, notably under COFOG 05.4 or CEP 0502 data.
Strengthen national collection and reporting of private biodiversity finance by establishing regular reporting mechanisms for business and other private actors, expanding national accounts to better cover corporate biodiversity expenditure according to CEP 0502, and enhancing national data infrastructure such as public registries for biodiversity offsets, biodiversity credits and payments for ecosystem services.
Promote international exchange of national approaches for tracking and reporting public and private biodiversity expenditure, including opportunities to harmonise methods, strengthen public-private data partnerships and replicate comparable reporting practices across countries.
To mobilise more finance for biodiversity – public and private – governments can take a range of actions to scale instruments and mechanisms, and strengthen enabling environments, including policy and regulation, transparency and verification, data and reporting. OECD Mobilising Public and Private Finance for Biodiversity: Good Practices in Unlocking Capital for Nature (2026) provides actionable recommendations to scale finance for biodiversity across both real economy and financial sector instruments and mechanisms.
