Development Co‑operation Profiles: Liechtenstein
Table of contents
Liechtenstein’s development co-operation is part of its foreign policy commitment to international solidarity and sustainability, in line with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Its development co-operation aims to support the sustainable and inclusive development of disadvantaged and marginalised regions of the world, with a geographic focus on rural regions in Africa, Latin America and Europe. Liechtenstein’s development co-operation is carried out through long-term relationships based on trust, responsibility and reliability. Almost all of Liechtenstein’s development co-operation is channelled bilaterally. Liechtenstein’s total official development assistance (ODA) was USD 40.8 million in 2025 (preliminary data), which was a decrease from 2024.
This profile presents verified data on Liechtenstein’s development assistance allocations. See the Development Co-operation Profiles.
The LED Strategy 2023-2026, adopted by the Foundation Board of the Liechtenstein Development Service (LED), is Liechtenstein’s main policy framework for bilateral development co-operation. It is guided by four principles: 1) leaving no one behind; 2) gender equality; 3) cultural diversity; and 4) ecological sustainability. The strategy defines food security (sustainable food systems with a focus on agroecology) and vocational training and employability as key priority themes of Liechtenstein’s co‑operation. Liechtenstein’s bilateral development co-operation approach is shifting from being project-based to programmatic, with a focus on one priority theme and local activities in each of its current nine priority partner countries: the Plurinational State of Bolivia, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Mali, the Republic of Moldova, Mozambique, Senegal, the United Republic of Tanzania and Zambia. The strategy emphasises dialogue with partner country governments; partnerships, including with non-governmental organisations and the private sector; donor co-ordination; and physical presence in all partner countries as key tools.
Liechtenstein’s multilateral co-operation is focused on promoting good governance, including advocacy for human rights, strengthening the rule of law and democracy, and fighting corruption and international crime. It is mainly channelled through the United Nations (UN) system. The basis for Liechtenstein’s commitment in development co-operation and humanitarian assistance remains its 2007 Act on International Humanitarian Co-operation and Development.
Liechtenstein provided USD 40.8 million (preliminary data) of ODA in 2025 (USD 38.8 million in constant terms).1 This was a decrease of 6.3% in real terms in volume from 2024. Within Liechtenstein’s ODA portfolio in 2024, 100% was provided in the form of grants.
Liechtenstein channels almost all of its ODA bilaterally. In 2024, Liechtenstein had a high percentage of gross bilateral ODA channelled to and through Civil Society Organisations (CSOs).
Liechtenstein provided most of its ODA bilaterally in 2024. Gross bilateral ODA was 96.7% of total ODA disbursements. Of this, 7.7% was channelled through multilateral organisations (earmarked contributions).
In 2024, Liechtenstein provided USD 4.4 million of gross ODA to the multilateral system, a fall of 11.4% in real terms from 2023. Of this, USD 1.4 million was core multilateral ODA (3.3% of total ODA), while USD 3.1 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 77% of Liechtenstein’s non-core contributions, and 23% was programmatic funding (to pooled funds and specific-purpose programmes and funds).
The United Nations (UN) system received 73.7% of Liechtenstein’s contributions to multilateral organisations, of which USD 2.3 million (70.5%) represented earmarked contributions. Out of a total volume of USD 3.3 million to the UN system, the top three UN recipients of Liechtenstein’s support (core and earmarked contributions) were the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (USD 700 thousand), the World Food Program (USD 500 thousand) and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (USD 300 thousand).
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.
In 2024, Liechtenstein’s bilateral spending increased compared to the previous year. It provided USD 40 million of gross bilateral ODA (which includes earmarked contributions to multilateral organisations). This represented an increase of 8.4% in real terms from 2023.
In 2024, country programmable aid amounted to USD 17.8 million, or 45.4% of Liechtenstein’s gross bilateral ODA.
Liechtenstein’s in-donor refugee costs amounted to USD 12.1 million (30.9% of gross bilateral ODA) in 2024, while humanitarian aid was USD 4.4 million, or 10.9% of gross bilateral ODA.
In 2024, Liechtenstein channelled its bilateral ODA mainly through non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and the public sector.
In 2024, civil society organisations (CSOs) received USD 21.5 million of gross bilateral ODA, of which 24.7% was directed to developing country-based CSOs. Overall, 1.5% of gross bilateral ODA was allocated to CSOs as core contributions and 52.3% was channelled through CSOs to implement projects initiated by the provider (earmarked funding). From 2023 to 2024, the combined core and earmarked contributions for CSOs decreased as a share of bilateral ODA, from 56.9% to 53.8%. Learn more by reading the DAC Recommendation on Enabling Civil Society in Development Co-operation and Humanitarian Aid.
In 2024, Liechtenstein’s bilateral ODA primarily focused on countries in Africa. USD 11.5 million was allocated to countries in Africa and USD 5 million to ODA-eligible countries in Europe (of which 16.4% was for Ukraine), accounting respectively for 28.8% and 12.6% of gross bilateral ODA. USD 2.7 million was allocated to Latin America. The Middle East was also the main regional recipient of Liechtenstein’s earmarked contributions to multilateral organisations. Liechtenstein’s geographic focus is in line with its overall policy regional focus.
In 2024, 38.8% of gross bilateral ODA went to Liechtenstein’s top 10 recipients, located across Latin America, sub-Saharan Africa and Europe. The share of gross bilateral ODA not allocated by country was 48.8%, of which 63.3% consisted of expenditures for processing and hosting refugees in provider countries.
LDCs received 29.8% of Liechtenstein’s gross bilateral ODA (USD 11.9 million), noting that 48.8% was unallocated by income group. Additionally, Liechtenstein allocated 22.8% of gross bilateral ODA to land‑locked developing countries in 2024, equal to USD 9.1 million.
In 2025, Liechtenstein provided USD 1.6 million of net bilateral ODA to Ukraine to respond to the impacts of the Russian Federation’s full-scale invasion, a 90.1% increase from 2024 in real terms.
Support to contexts with high and extreme fragility was USD 11.1 million in 2024, representing 27.7% of Liechtenstein’s gross bilateral ODA. Of this ODA, 18.6% was provided in the form of humanitarian assistance, a decrease from 20.3% in 2023, while 2.2% was allocated to peace, a decrease from 2.2% in 2023. Learn more about the States of Fragility platform.
In 2024, the largest focus of Liechtenstein’s bilateral ODA was social infrastructure and services. Investments in this area accounted for 32.1% of bilateral ODA commitments (USD 12.8 million), with a strong focus on support to education (USD 5.9 million), government and civil society (USD 3.7 million) and health and population (USD 1.7 million). ODA for other macro sectors totalled USD 12.5 million, with a focus on refugees in donor countries (USD 12.4 million). Production sectors amounted to USD 9.2 million (23% of bilateral ODA). Earmarked contributions to multilateral organisations also focused on social sectors and humanitarian assistance in 2024.
In the period 2023-2024, Liechtenstein committed 10.5% of screened bilateral allocable ODA to gender equality and women’s empowerment compared to 9.4% in 2021-2022 and a non-DAC country average of 8.5% in 2023-2024. This is equal to USD 2.9 million 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 4.2% in 2023-2024.
Liechtenstein screens the majority of bilateral allocable ODA against the DAC gender equality policy marker (99.3% in 2023-2024).
Liechtenstein committed USD 200 thousand of ODA to end violence against women and girls, and USD 200 thousand to support women’s rights organisations and movements, and government institutions on average per year in 2023-2024.
Liechtenstein committed USD 200 thousand of ODA to end violence against women and girls, and USD 200 thousand to support women’s rights organisations and movements, and government institutions on average per year in 2023-2024.
Learn more by reading 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.
In 2023-2024, Liechtenstein committed 26% of its total bilateral allocable ODA (USD 7.2 million) in support of the environment and the Rio Conventions (the non-DAC country average was 0.5%), up from 19.1% in 2021-2022. In addition:
24.3% of total bilateral allocable ODA (USD 6.7 million) focused on climate change overall up from 18.3% in 2021-2022. Liechtenstein had a greater focus on adaptation (24.1%) in 2023-2024.
8.4% of screened bilateral allocable ODA (USD 2.3 million) focused on biodiversity overall, up from 5.5% in 2021-2022.
Learn more about the DAC Declaration on Aligning Development Co-operation with the Goals of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change.
In 2024, Liechtenstein:
Allocated 3.1% of its bilateral ODA (USD 1.3 million) to core poverty-reducing sectors as defined by SDG 1.a.1. This indicator captures grants to basic social services (such as basic health and education, water supply and sanitation, multisector aid for basic social services) and development food aid. In addition, 2.2% of bilateral ODA (USD 0.9 million) went to social protection support. Learn more by exploring the Reducing poverty and inequalities through ODA data explainer.
Committed USD 200 thousand (0.6% of its bilateral allocable ODA) to development co-operation projects and programmes that promote the inclusion and empowerment of persons with disabilities.
Committed USD 200 thousand (0.8% of its bilateral allocable ODA) to the mobilisation of domestic resources in developing countries.
Committed USD 9.7 million (35% of its bilateral allocable ODA) to promote aid for trade and improve developing countries’ trade performance and integration into the world economy in 2024.
Total official support for sustainable development (TOSSD) is an international statistical standard that monitors and increases the transparency of all official and officially supported resources for financing the SDGs received by developing countries (Pillar 1) and for addressing global challenges (Pillar 2). In 2024, activities reported by Liechtenstein as TOSSD totalled USD 43.5 million, marking a 7% increase compared with the previous year. Liechtenstein’s TOSSD activities mostly targeted SDG 10 (reduced inequalities), SDG 2 (zero hunger) and SDG 4 (quality education). Activity-level data on TOSSD by recipient are available at: https://tossd.online.
Liechtenstein’s international humanitarian co-operation and development framework comprises four areas under the responsibility of three institutions: 1) emergency aid and reconstruction assistance – under the responsibility of the Office of Foreign Affairs (OFA); 2) international refugee and migration assistance – under the responsibility of the OFA and the Immigration and Passport Office; 3) bilateral co‑operation – under the responsibility of the LED; and 4) multilateral co-operation – under the responsibility of the OFA.
The LED follows a bottom-up approach to development programming, working closely with implementing partners and stakeholders and engaging with beneficiary communities to ensure that interventions respond to local needs and contexts.
The Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development placed a renewed emphasis on strengthening the effectiveness of all forms of development co-operation by upholding and elevating the Effectiveness Principles. Adherence to these principles is measured through the partner country-led monitoring exercise of the Global Partnership for Effective Development Co-operation. Liechtenstein participated in the 2023-2026 monitoring round through its reporting to one partner country, Cambodia. Its results can be found here.
Access the full list of development co-operation providers at: Development Co-operation Profiles.
Liechtenstein Office for Foreign Affairs: https://www.llv.li/en/national-administration/office-for-foreign-affairs/topics/international-humanitarian-cooperation-and-development.
Liechtenstein Act on International Humanitarian Co-operation and Development (IHZEG): https://www.gesetze.li/konso/2007.149.
Liechtenstein Development Service (LED): https://www.led.li/DE/Default.asp.
Liechtenstein Development Service’s Strategy 2023-2026: https://led.li/en/who-we-are/vision-mission-strategy/.
Liechtenstein has been an Invitee to the OECD Development Assistance Committee (DAC) since 2023.
Liechtenstein has been reporting to the OECD since 2009 and at activity level since 2021.
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.
© OECD 2026
Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
This work is made available under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence. By using this work, you accept to be bound by the terms of this licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
Attribution – you must cite the work.
Translations – you must cite the original work, identify changes to the original and add the following text: In the event of any discrepancy between the original work and the translation, only the text of original work should be considered valid.
Adaptations – you must cite the original work and add the following text: This is an adaptation of an original work by the OECD. The opinions expressed and arguments employed in this adaptation should not be reported as representing the official views of the OECD or of its Member countries.
Third-party material – the licence does not apply to third-party material in the work. If using such material, you are responsible for obtaining permission from the third party and for any claims of infringement.
You must not use the OECD logo, visual identity or cover image without express permission or suggest the OECD endorses your use of the work.
Any dispute arising under this licence shall be settled by arbitration in accordance with the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) Arbitration Rules 2012. The seat of arbitration shall be Paris (France). The number of arbitrators shall be one.
← 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.