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HOW THE U.S. INVESTS IN A BETTER WORLD

As the world’s largest economy, the U.S. has been an essential financial contributor to the UN since the organization’s founding.

Funding from Member States comes from two broad sources: assessed and voluntary contributions.

Assessed contributions are legally binding. Every Member State pays an agreed share of the UN’s core budgets – the regular budget, which keeps the Secretariat and diplomatic machinery running; the peacekeeping budget, which funds operations around the world; and smaller lines for international tribunals and the UN’s capital master plan in New York. 

The regular budget, about $3.7 billion for 2025, is the UN’s backbone. It covers diplomacy, political missions and the staff that keep global cooperation on track. Each country’s share is calculated by a formula based on its national income, adjusted for debt and population. The U.S., the world’s biggest economy, pays the largest share – 22 percent – an obligation under the UN Charter that guarantees its seat and vote in the General Assembly.

The peacekeeping budget adds another $5.4 billion. This budget works a little differently. Still assessed, wealthier countries like the U.S. often contribute financially rather than sending troops (in fact, the U.S. has just a few dozen peacekeepers deployed, largely serving in consultative roles), while other nations contribute troops in lieu of cash and are subsequently reimbursed. The U.S. technically owes 26 percent of the peacekeeping bill. A Congressional law, however, caps U.S. payments at 25 percent, creating automatic shortfalls every year. Over time, those unpaid balances have ballooned to $1.5 billion in arrears, the largest of any country.

Voluntary contributions – around $33 billion across the system – are the lifeblood of humanitarian and development agencies, funding organizations like UNICEF, WHO and the World Food Programme. These funds are crucial but optional, often earmarked for specific programs or emergencies appeals. They feed children, deliver vaccines and respond to disasters.

Curious how assessments are calculated? Read more.

Download the 2025 UN, Explained Brief on the UN Budget

THE UN'S CASH CRUNCH

In recent years, Secretary-General António Guterres has repeatedly sounded the alarm over the UN’s liquidity crisis. Even after reducing expenditures by nearly $600 million, he has warned that the organization “could end 2025 with a deficit of more than $450 million.” Much of the strain comes from delayed contributions by Member States, including about $1.5 billion in U.S. regular budget payments and another $1.5 billion owed to peacekeeping accounts.

REFORM AS PART OF THE BUDGET SOLUTION

Guterres has met the moment with reform. Through his UN80 Initiative, informed heavily by the U.S., he’s pushing for what he calls a “more agile, resilient and cost-efficient United Nations.” His proposed 2026 budget cuts spending by 15 percent and staff by nearly 19 percent, consolidates back-office functions and moves more operations to cheaper duty stations. 

The results are already visible: job postings have dropped by half and a quarter of the world’s peacekeeping forces are being reduced. Nevertheless, reform does have its limits. “Reversing the crisis,” Guterres concedes, “depends on Member States fulfilling their commitments.” 

Get to know UN80 Reform
DID YOU KNOW?

American businesses receive more in contracts with UN agencies than the U.S. pays in dues.

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HOW CONGRESS ALLOCATES FUNDING

In recent years, U.S. assessments for the UN regular budget, peacekeeping operations and specialized agencies account for around $3 billion annually – or 0.06% of the total federal budget. These funds are provided by Congress through three accounts in the State Department, Foreign Operations and Related Programs (SFOPS) appropriations bill. Other funding is provided through a separate account.

Explore the sources of funding here.

  • Contributions to International Organizations (CIO)

    CIO funds U.S. assessments for the UN regular budget and more than 40 other international organizations, including UN specialized agencies and non-UN organizations such as NATO and the Organization of American States.

  • Contributions for International Peacekeeping Activities (CIPA)

    CIPA funds U.S. assessments for eleven UN peacekeeping missions, including critical operations in the Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Golan Heights, Lebanon and South Sudan. All missions are approved by the UN Security Council and play an essential role in promoting stability, protecting civilians and mitigating conflict in strategically significant regions of the world.

  • Peacekeeping Operations (PKO)

    The PKO account supports several non-UN regional peacekeeping operations and bilateral security initiatives, as well, including an international observer force in the Sinai Peninsula and the UN Support Office in Somalia (UNSOS) that help local forces defeat Al-Shabaab, a terrorist group linked to Al-Qaeda.

  • International Organizations and Programs (IO&P)

    Additional funding for UN agencies is appropriated through IO&P, which supports voluntary U.S. contributions to specialized agencies like UNICEF and the World Food Programme, who focus on development, humanitarian and scientific activities.

MORE INSIGHTS ON U.S.-UN ISSUES

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