- Policy
- ODA allocation overview
- ODA to and through the multilateral system
- Bilateral ODA
- Geographic, sectoral and thematic focus of ODA
- Private sector instruments
- Mobilised private finance
- Total Official Support for Sustainable Development
- Institutional set-up
- Quality and oversight
- Other profiles
- Additional resources
Development Co‑operation Profiles: France
Table of contents
France is among the top providers of official development assistance (ODA) in volume, with a strong focus on Africa and the fight against climate change and biodiversity loss. France’s priorities include linking the green and social agendas and mobilising finance for sustainable development. France’s total official development assistance (ODA) decreased in 2024 to USD 15.4 billion (preliminary data), representing 0.48% of gross national income (GNI).
This profile presents verified data on development assistance allocation. See the Development Co-operation Profiles.
France’s policy priorities are defined in the 2021 Law on Inclusive Development and Combating Global Inequalities (Programming Act No. 2021-1031) and the 2023 policy guidelines, which set out ten priority policy objectives: 1) accelerating the phase-out of coal and financing renewable energies; 2) protecting carbon reserves and biodiversity; 3) investing in young people through education; 4) strengthening resilience in the face of health risks; 5) promoting innovation and African entrepreneurship; 6) mobilising expertise and private and public financing for infrastructure; 7) strengthening food sovereignty; 8) supporting human rights; 9) promoting women’s rights; and 10) combating illegal immigration.
France is advocating for strong multilateralism based on the rule of law and for a New Global Financial Pact to support the most vulnerable countries when facing the cascading consequences of concurring climate, energy, health and economic crises. Gender and women’s equality are also central to France’s policy, including establishing a Support Fund for Feminist Organisations.
The OECD-DAC Peer Review of France published in 2024 recognised France’s ambitious reform of its development co-operation. In addition to strengthening its crisis response instruments, France has championed the linkages between the green and social agendas and the mobilisation of the private sector for sustainable development. The review identified the difficult balance between the objectives of visibility and development impact in fragile contexts, the need to strengthen the complementarity between technical assistance and other instruments, and the contribution of local private sector to poverty reduction. France has partially or fully implemented 11 of the 13 recommendations from the 2018 Peer Review. Discover insights from France’s 2024 Peer Review and 2021 mid-term review, and learn from France’s practices in Development Co-operation Tools Insights Practices (TIPs).
France provided USD 15.4 billion (preliminary data) of ODA in 2024 (USD 15 billion in constant terms) representing 0.48% of GNI.1 This is similar to the ODA volume in real terms and a slight decrease in the share of GNI from 2023. This marks the second year of decreased ODA after five years of sustained growth. While France met its domestic commitment to achieve a 0.55% ODA/GNI ratio in 2022, the ratio has since declined. France voted further cuts in its 2025 budget putting off track its efforts towards its international and European Union (EU) commitments to achieve a 0.7% ODA/GNI ratio by 2030. Within France’s ODA portfolio in 2023, 74.4% was provided in the form of grants and 25.6% in the form of non-grants.2
France ranks 6th among Development Assistance Committee (DAC) members in terms of ODA volume and 11th among DAC member countries in the ODA/GNI ratio in 2024. France stands out for its commitment to environmental, climate and biodiversity issues, with 58.4% of its total bilateral allocable aid supporting the environment and the Rio Conventions, and 24.5% supporting biodiversity. It is also the second-highest provider of private sector instruments (PSI).
France has committed to several international targets and DAC standards and recommendations. Learn more about DAC Recommendations.
Note: This table only includes information about ODA data-related DAC Recommendations. ODA: official development assistance; GNI: gross national income; DAC: Development Assistance Committee.
France provided a higher share of its ODA bilaterally in 2023. Gross bilateral ODA was 62.7% of total ODA disbursements. Five per cent of gross bilateral ODA was channelled through multilateral organisations (earmarked contributions).
In 2023, France provided USD 7.2 billion of gross ODA to the multilateral system, a fall of 15.2% in real terms from 2022. Of this, USD 6.6 billion was core multilateral ODA (37.3% of total ODA), while USD 581.1 million was non-core contributions earmarked for a specific country, region, theme or purpose. Project-type funding earmarked for a specific theme and/or country accounted for 51.7% of France’s non‑core contributions and 48.3% was programmatic funding (to pooled funds and specific-purpose programmes and funds).
The United Nations (UN) system received 13.4% of France’s contributions to multilateral organisations, of which USD 198.6 million (20.7%) represented earmarked contributions. Out of a total volume of USD 960.9 million to the UN system, the top three UN recipients of France’s support (core and earmarked contributions) were the World Food Programme (USD 184.5 million), the UN Refugee Agency (USD 119 million) and Unitaid (USD 92 million).
See the section on Geographic, sectoral and thematic focus of ODA for the breakdown of bilateral allocations, including ODA earmarked through the multilateral development system.
Learn more by exploring the dashboard on DAC members’ use of the multilateral system.
In 2023, France’s bilateral spending declined compared to the previous year. It provided USD 11.1 billion of gross bilateral ODA (which includes earmarked contributions to multilateral organisations). This represented a decrease of 22.3% in real terms from 2022.
In 2023, country programmable aid amounted to USD 6.3 billion, or 57% of France’s gross bilateral ODA, compared to the DAC country average of 43.1%. In-donor refugee costs were USD 1.3 billion in 2023, representing 11.6% of France’s gross bilateral ODA. This was a decrease of 22.7% in real terms over 2022.
In 2023, France channelled its bilateral ODA mainly through public sector. Technical co-operation made up 11.5% of gross ODA in 2023.
In 2023, civil society organisations (CSOs) received USD 1 billion of gross bilateral ODA, of which 12.3% was directed to developing country-based CSOs. Overall, 1.7% of gross bilateral ODA was allocated to CSOs as core contributions and 7.4% was channelled through CSOs to implement projects initiated by the donor (earmarked funding). From 2022 to 2023, the combined core and earmarked contributions for CSOs increased as a share of bilateral ODA, from 6% to 9.1%. Learn more about the DAC Recommendation on Enabling Civil Society in Development Co-operation and Humanitarian Aid.
In 2023, France’s bilateral ODA primarily focused on countries in Africa. USD 4.6 billion was allocated to countries in Africa and USD 1.3 billion to Asia (excluding the Middle East), accounting respectively for 41.5% and 11.9% of gross bilateral ODA. USD 1.2 billion was allocated to Latin America and the Caribbean. Africa was also the main regional recipient of France’s earmarked contributions to multilateral organisations.
In 2023, 28.4% of gross bilateral ODA went to France’s top 10 recipients. Only one of the top 10 recipients, Senegal, is a least developed country (LDC), France’s geographic priorities. The share of gross bilateral ODA not allocated by country was 28%, of which 41.3% consisted of expenditures for processing and hosting refugees in provider countries.
In 2023, France allocated 0.12% of its GNI to LDCs. France allocated the highest share of gross bilateral ODA (32.9%) to lower middle-income countries (LMICs) in 2023, noting that 28% was unallocated by income group. LDCs received 18.3% of France’s gross bilateral ODA (USD 2 billion). Additionally, France allocated 9.6% of gross bilateral ODA to land-locked developing countries in 2023, equal to USD 1.1 billion. France allocated 4.1% of gross bilateral ODA to small island developing states in 2023, equal to USD 454.2 million.
Looking at the distribution of France’s ODA in relation to “ODA per person in extreme poverty”,3 the amount was USD 5 per person in LDCs, USD 9 in LMICs and USD 27.2 in upper middle-income countries (UMICs).
In 2024, France provided USD 104.9 million of net bilateral ODA to Ukraine to respond to the impacts of Russia’s full-scale invasion, a 5.4% decrease from 2023 in real terms. USD 58.2 million of the amount was humanitarian assistance in 2024, a 16.4% decrease from 2023.
Support to contexts with high and extreme fragility was USD 3.1 billion in 2023, representing 28.3% of France’s gross bilateral ODA. Nine per cent of this ODA was provided in the form of humanitarian assistance, an increase from 5.3% in 2022, while 9.4% was allocated to peace, an increase from 9.3% in 2022. Learn more about the OECD States of Fragility platform.
In 2023, the largest focus of France’s bilateral ODA was social infrastructure and services. Investments in this area accounted for 41.9% of bilateral ODA commitments (USD 5.1 billion), with a strong focus on support to education (USD 2 billion), government and civil society (USD 1.2 billion), and water supply and sanitation (USD 971.3 million). ODA for other macro sectors totalled USD 2.5 billion, with a focus on refugees in donor countries (USD 1.3 billion). Economic infrastructure and services amounted to USD 2 billion (16.3% of bilateral ODA). Earmarked contributions to multilateral organisations also focused on social sectors and other macro sectors in 2023.
In the period 2022-23, France committed 46.4% of screened bilateral allocable ODA to gender equality and women’s empowerment, compared to 46.5% in 2020-214 and a 2022-23 DAC average of 45.8%. This is equal to USD 3.9 billion of screened bilateral allocable ODA in support of gender equality on average per year. In addition:
The share of screened bilateral allocable ODA committed to gender equality and women’s empowerment as a principal objective was 6.3% in 2022-23, compared with the DAC average of 4%.
France includes gender equality objectives in 76.3% of ODA for humanitarian aid, below the 2022‑23 DAC average of 19.1%.
France screens the majority of bilateral allocable ODA activities against the DAC gender equality policy marker (75% in 2022-23).
France committed USD 16 million of ODA to end violence against women and girls and USD 104.8 million to support women’s rights organisations and movements, and government institutions on average in 2022-23.
Learn more about the DAC Recommendation on Gender Equality and the Empowerment of All Women and Girls in Development Co-operation and Humanitarian Assistance and the DAC Recommendation on Ending Sexual Exploitation in Development Co-operation, and by exploring the dashboard on DAC members’ development finance for gender equality.
In 2022-23, France committed 58.4% of its total bilateral allocable ODA (USD 6.6 billion) in support of the environment and the Rio Conventions, down from 65.5% in 2020-21. The DAC average was 39% in 2022-23. In addition:
Twenty-seven per cent of screened bilateral allocable ODA focused on environmental issues as a principal objective, above the DAC average of 9.6%.
Fifty-five per cent of total bilateral allocable ODA (USD 6.2 billion) focused on climate change overall, slightly down from 56.5% in 2020-21 (the DAC average was 34.8%). France had a greater focus on mitigation (72.3%) than on adaptation (67%) in 2022-23.
Twenty-five per cent of screened bilateral allocable ODA (USD 2 billion) focused on biodiversity overall, up from 12.8% in 2020-21 (the DAC average was 7.6%).
Learn more about the DAC Declaration on Aligning Development Co-operation with the Goals of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change.
Note: Individual Rio Markers should not be added up as this can result in double counting.
The OECD’s tracking of ODA for the sustainable ocean economy shows that France committed USD 107 million in support of the conservation and sustainable use of the ocean in 2023, USD 76.3 million less than in 2022. The 2023 value is equivalent to 1.2% of France’s bilateral allocable ODA.
In 2023, France:
Allocated 5.4% of its bilateral ODA (USD 596.3 million) to core poverty-reducing sectors as defined by Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 1.a.1. This indicator captures grants to basic social services (such as basic health and education, water supply and sanitation) and development food aid. In addition, 0.2% of bilateral ODA (USD 17.4 million) went to social protection support.
Committed USD 568.9 million (6.1% of its bilateral allocable ODA) to address the immediate or underlying determinants of malnutrition in developing countries across a variety of sectors, such as water supply and sanitation, health, and development food assistance.
Committed USD 23.7 million (0.3% of its bilateral allocable ODA) to development co-operation projects and programmes that promote the inclusion and empowerment of persons with disabilities.
Committed USD 6 million (0.1% of its bilateral allocable ODA) to the mobilisation of domestic resources in developing countries. Regarding the payment of local tax and customs duties for ODA-funded goods and services, France sometimes requests exemptions on its ODA-funded goods and services in partner countries and territories and makes information available on the OECD Digital Transparency Hub on the Tax Treatment of ODA.
Committed USD 2.4 billion (25.9% of its bilateral allocable ODA) to promote aid for trade and improve developing countries’ trade performance and integration into the world economy in 2023. France is among the top 10 official providers of aid for trade globally.
To build markets in developing countries and incentivise greater mobilisation of private resources for development, many providers, including France, have established development finance institutions (DFIs) and similar vehicles that extend PSI. The PSI programmes of the French Development Agency (AFD), Proparco and STOA were assessed as ODA-eligible PSI vehicles. PSI represented 1.5% of France’s ODA in 2023 while the DAC average stood at 1.3%.
In 2023, France’s AFD, Porparco and STOA extended USD 1.9 billion in the form of PSI to developing countries.5 Of this, loans accounted for 78.9% whereas equities accounted for 19.7%. Other PSI included guarantees.
In 2023, USD 51 million (2.7%) of France’s PSI were allocated to the LDCs and other low-income countries (LICs), with a majority of 82.9% received by middle-income countries and UMICs in particular (57.7%). USD 274.8 million were unallocated by income. France’s PSI primarily supported projects in the banking and financial services (36.2%) and industry, mining and construction (16.1%).
France uses leveraging mechanisms to mobilise private finance for sustainable development. In 2023, AFD and Proparco mobilised USD 1.3 billion from the private sector through credit lines, guarantees, shares in collective investment vehicles, direct investment in companies, and special purpose vehicles and syndicated loans. This constituted a 39.3% decrease compared to 2022.
Private finance mobilised by France in 2022-23 mainly targeted middle-income countries, representing 62% of its total mobilised. Only 19.3% of total mobilised private finance during this period benefited LDCs and other LICs, noting that 18.7% was unallocated by income.
Mobilised private finance by France in 2022-23 related mainly to activities in banking and financial services (50%) as its top sector. Furthermore, over this period, 44.2% of France’s total mobilised private finance was for climate action.
Total Official Support for Sustainable Development (TOSSD) is an international statistical standard that monitors and increases transparency of all official and officially supported resources for financing the SDGs in developing countries, as well as for addressing global challenges. In 2023, activities reported by France as TOSSD totalled USD 32.1 billion, down from USD 42.3 billion in 2022. France’s TOSSD activities mostly targeted SDG 7 (affordable and clean energy), SDG 1 (no poverty) and SDG 17 (partnerships for the Goals). Activity-level data on TOSSD by recipient are available at: https://tossd.online.
France’s ODA budget is made up of 24 separate budget programmes across 13 missions managed by 14 ministries, along with extra-budgetary funds. The institutional set-up consists of:
1. The Presidential Development Council, chaired by the President of the Republic and attended by the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs (MEAE) and the Minister of Economy, Finance and Industrial and Digital Sovereignty (MEFSIN), which takes strategic decisions pertaining to the development policy.
2. The Interministerial Committee for International Cooperation and Development, chaired by the Prime Minister and attended by the Secretary for Development Policy within the MEAE, which sets the general framework for France’s development co-operation and the articulation between the various actors and methods of intervention.
3. The MEAE and the MEFSIN have competency for implementing the policy.
4. The AFD Group which, under the joint authority of the MEAE and the MEFSIN, implements France’s development policy. The group includes AFD, which finances the public sector and non‑governmental organisations (NGOs), as well as research and education in sustainable development; its subsidiary Proparco, which is dedicated to private sector financing; and Expertise France, the technical co-operation agency.
The MEAE has more than 1 500 staff working on development co-operation, 83% of whom serve abroad. The MEFSIN has more than 60 staff members in its General Directorate of the Treasury working directly on development co-operation (including in development banks). AFD has more than 2 300 staff, 60% of whom are employed at headquarters and 40% in partner countries.
The main mechanism for consulting stakeholders is the National Council for Development and International Solidarity, which is chaired by the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs. The council is consulted on the orientations of France’s development policy and represents diverse stakeholders: NGOs, economic actors, research institutes and universities, employers, local government, parliamentarians, trade unions, and non‑French experts. CSOs are active in development co-operation, humanitarian assistance and global citizenship education co-ordinate under the umbrella body Coordination Sud.
Internal systems and processes help ensure the effective delivery of France’s development co-operation. Select features are shown in the table below.
Access the full list of providers at this link: Development Co-operation Profiles.
2024 OECD-DAC Peer Review of France: https://doi.org/10.1787/102d5469-en
French Development Agency (AFD): https://www.afd.fr/fr
Ministry of Economy, Finance and Industrial and Digital Sovereignty: https://www.tresor.economie.gouv.fr/Ressources/aide-au-developpement
Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Development Aid: https://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/fr/politique-etrangere-de-la-france/aide-au-developpement
2023 Guidelines for International Cooperation Policy and Official Development Assistance: orientations_cle017322.pdf (diplomatie.gouv.fr)
Programming Act No. 2021-1031 on Inclusive Development and Combating Global Inequalities: https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/jorf/id/JORFTEXT000043898536
CSO umbrella body Coordination Sud: https://www.coordinationsud.org
France has been a member of the OECD Development Assistance Committee (DAC) since 1960.
The methodological notes provide further details on the definitions and statistical methodologies applied, including the grant-equivalent methodology, core and earmarked contributions to multilateral organisations, country programmable aid, channels of delivery, bilateral ODA unspecified/unallocated, bilateral allocable ODA, the gender equality policy marker, and the environment markers.
This work is published under the responsibility of the Secretary-General of the OECD. The opinions expressed and arguments employed herein do not necessarily reflect the official views of the Member countries of the OECD.
This document, as well as any data and map included herein, are without prejudice to the status of or sovereignty over any territory, to the delimitation of international frontiers and boundaries and to the name of any territory, city or area.
The statistical data for Israel are supplied by and under the responsibility of the relevant Israeli authorities. The use of such data by the OECD is without prejudice to the status of the Golan Heights, East Jerusalem and Israeli settlements in the West Bank under the terms of international law.
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← 1. DAC members adopted the grant-equivalent methodology starting from their reporting of 2018 data as a more accurate way to count the donor effort in development loans. See the methodological notes for further details.
← 2. Non-grants include sovereign loans, multilateral loans, equity investment and loans to the private sector.
← 3. Aid per person in extreme poverty is calculated by dividing net ODA (bilateral and imputed multilateral) by the population in extreme poverty in each country. Group averages are calculated based on a weighted average of aid per person in extreme poverty and the number of people in extreme poverty for each country in the group. For more information on this indicator, please see here.
← 4. The use of the recommended minimum criteria for the marker by some members in recent years can result in lower levels of ODA reported as being focused on gender equality.
← 5. In 2023, the DAC agreed on revised reporting methods for measuring PSI in ODA based on ODA grant equivalents. Members may, however, take up to two years to transition to the new methods, with their PSI continuing to be accounted for on a net ODA basis during the transition period.