Development Co‑operation Profiles: France

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. Its development co-operation combines grants, loans and private sector instruments to mobilise finance for sustainable development while linking the green and social agendas. France’s total ODA (USD 14.5 billion, preliminary data) decreased in 2025, representing 0.42% of gross national income (GNI).

This profile presents verified data on France’s development assistance allocations. 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 2025 Decisions by the Presidential Council for International Partnerships, 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’s international partnership policy aims to align French values as well as economic and strategic interests with those of its allies.

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 in line with France’s international strategy for a feminist foreign policy.

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 the 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.

France provided USD 14.5 billion (preliminary data) of ODA in 2025 (USD 13.8 billion in constant terms), representing 0.42% of GNI.1 This was a decrease of 10.9% in real terms in volume and a decrease in the share of GNI from 2024. The decrease was due primarily to a decline in multilateral ODA. After five years of sustained ODA growth, decreases on a grant equivalent basis were recorded in 2023 and 2025. While France met its domestic commitment to achieve a 0.55% ODA/GNI ratio in 2022, the ratio has been declining since then. 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 2024, 73.9% was provided in the form of grants and 26.1% was extended as loans.

In 2025, France ranked 6^th among Development Assistance Committee (DAC) members in terms of ODA volume and 11^th when ODA is taken as a share of GNI. France stands out for its commitment to environmental, climate and biodiversity issues, as 64% of its total bilateral allocable aid between 2023-2024 supported the environment and the Rio Conventions while 26.1% of its screened bilateral allocable aid supported biodiversity across this same period. It is also the second-highest provider of private sector instruments (PSI).

France is committed to several international targets and DAC standards and recommendations. Learn more about DAC Recommendations.

France provided a higher share of its ODA bilaterally in 2024. Gross bilateral ODA was 62.7% of total ODA disbursements. Of this, 6.1% was channelled through multilateral organisations (earmarked contributions).

In 2024, France provided USD 7.4 billion of gross ODA to the multilateral system, a slight increase of 1.5% in real terms from 2023. Of this, USD 6.8 billion was core multilateral ODA (37.3% of total ODA), while USD 686.5 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 67.9% of France’s non-core contributions, and 32.1% was programmatic funding (to pooled funds and specific-purpose programmes and funds). The European Institutions (USD 3.8 billion) and the World Bank (USD 726.5 million) are France’s main multilateral partners, followed by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (USD 461.8 million) and the Green Climate Fund (USD 342.2 million).

The United Nations (UN) system received 12% of France’s contributions to multilateral organisations, of which USD 182.8 million (20.5%) represented earmarked contributions. Out of a total volume of USD 892.1 million to the UN system, the top three UN recipients of France’s support (core and earmarked contributions) were the World Food Programme (USD 177.2 million), the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (USD 140.3 million) and UNITAID (USD 91.9 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 DAC members’ use of the multilateral system dashboard.

In 2024, France’s bilateral spending declined compared to the previous year. It provided USD 11.3 billion of gross bilateral ODA (which includes earmarked contributions to multilateral organisations). This represented a decrease of 0.1% in real terms from 2023.

In 2024, country programmable aid amounted to USD 6.5 billion, or 57.3% of France’s gross bilateral ODA, compared to the DAC country average of 46.5%.

France’s in-donor refugee costs amounted to USD 1.2 billion (10.8% of gross bilateral ODA) in 2024, while humanitarian aid was USD 576.8 million, or 4.8% of gross bilateral ODA.

In 2024, France channelled its bilateral ODA mainly through public sector. Technical co-operation made up 11% of gross ODA in 2024.

In 2024, civil society organisations (CSOs) received USD 943.9 million of gross bilateral ODA, of which 14.2% was directed to developing country-based CSOs. Overall, 1% of gross bilateral ODA was allocated to CSOs as core contributions and 7.3% 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 9.1% to 8.3%.

Learn more by reading the DAC Recommendation on Enabling Civil Society in Development Co-operation and Humanitarian Aid and by exploring the ODA to civil society organisations dashboard.

In 2024, France’s bilateral ODA primarily focused on countries in Africa. USD 4.7 billion was allocated to countries in Africa and USD 1.8 billion to Asia (excluding the Middle East), accounting respectively for 41.1% and 16% of gross bilateral ODA. USD 902.3 million was allocated to Latin America and the Caribbean. Countries in Latin America and the Caribbean were also the main recipient of France’s earmarked contributions to multilateral organisations.

In 2024, 26.8% of gross bilateral ODA went to France’s top 10 recipients. The majority of its top 10 recipients are in Africa, in line with the priorities set by the Presidential Council. The share of gross bilateral ODA not allocated by country was 29.8%, of which 36.4% consisted of expenditures for processing and hosting refugees in provider countries.

In 2024, France allocated 0.11% of its GNI to the least developed countries (LDCs). France allocated the highest share of gross bilateral ODA (33.2%) to lower middle-income countries in 2024, noting that 29.8% was unallocated by income group. LDCs received 21.6% of France’s gross bilateral ODA (USD 2.4 billion). Additionally, France allocated 9.1% of gross bilateral ODA to land-locked developing countries in 2024, equal to USD 1 billion.

The distribution of France’s ODA in net terms in relation to “ODA per person in extreme poverty”2 was USD 3.7 in LDCs, USD 9.6 in lower middle-income countries (LMICs) and USD 8.5 in upper middle-income countries.

In 2025, France provided USD 403.3 million (preliminary) of net bilateral ODA to Ukraine to respond to the impacts of the Russian Federation’s full-scale invasion, a 277% increase from 2024 in real terms. USD 1.2 million (preliminary) of the amount was humanitarian assistance in 2025, a 96.8% decrease in real terms from 2024.

Support to contexts with high and extreme fragility was USD 3.7 billion in 2024, representing 32.5% of France’s gross bilateral ODA. Of this ODA, 6.8% was provided in the form of humanitarian assistance, a decrease from 8.5% in 2023, while 7.7% was allocated to peace, a decrease from 9.4% in 2023. Conflict prevention, a subset of contributions to peace, represented 0.1% of gross bilateral ODA, as in 2023.

Learn more about the States of Fragility platform.

In 2024, the largest focus of France’s bilateral ODA was social infrastructure and services. Investments in this area accounted for 35.7% of bilateral ODA commitments (USD 4.3 billion), with a strong focus on support to education (USD 1.6 billion), government and civil society (USD 1.1 billion) and other social infrastructure and services (USD 681.8 million). ODA for other macro sectors totalled USD 2.5 billion, with a focus on refugees in donor countries (USD 1.2 billion). Economic infrastructure and services amounted to USD 2.1 billion (17.7% of bilateral ODA). Earmarked contributions to multilateral organisations also focused on social sectors and economic sectors in 2024.

In the period 2023-2024, France committed 53% of screened bilateral allocable ODA to gender equality and women’s empowerment compared to 46.8% in 2021-2022 and a DAC average of 48.2% in 2023-2024. This is equal to USD 4.5 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 2023-2024, compared with the DAC average of 4.2%.

• France includes gender equality objectives in 58.3% of ODA for humanitarian aid, above the 2023‑2024 DAC average of 21.5%.

• France screens the majority of bilateral allocable ODA against the DAC gender equality policy marker (92.9% in 2023-2024).

• France committed USD 11.3 million of ODA to end violence against women and girls, and USD 30.2 million 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, and by exploring the development finance for gender equality dashboard.

In 2023-2024, France committed 64% of its total bilateral allocable ODA (USD 5.9 billion) in support of the environment and the Rio Conventions, up from 61.6% in 2021-2022. The DAC average was 39%. In addition:

• 32.9% of screened bilateral allocable ODA focused on environmental issues as a principal objective, compared with the DAC average of 11.2%.

• 58.5% of total bilateral allocable ODA (USD 5.4 billion) focused on climate change overall (the DAC average was 35.4%), up from 55.7% in 2021-2022. France had a greater focus on mitigation (51.8%) than on adaptation (49.6%) in 2023-2024.

• 26.1% of screened bilateral allocable ODA (USD 2.1 billion) focused on biodiversity overall (the DAC average was 8.6%), up from 25.3% in 2021-2022.

• 5.6% of screened bilateral allocable ODA (USD 222.6 million) focused on desertification overall (the DAC average was 4.2%), up from 2.3% in 2021-2022.

Learn more about the DAC Declaration on Aligning Development Co-operation with the Goals of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change.

The OECD's tracking of ODA for the sustainable ocean economy shows that France committed USD 375.9 million in support of the conservation and sustainable use of the ocean in 2024, USD 260.1 million more than in 2023. The 2024 value is equivalent to 4.3% of France's bilateral allocable ODA.

In 2024, France:

• Allocated 4.6% of its bilateral ODA (USD 516 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, multisector aid for basic social services) and development food aid. In addition, 0.1% of bilateral ODA (USD 15.6 million) went to social protection support. Learn more by exploring the Reducing poverty and inequalities through ODA data explainer.

• Committed USD 307.9 million (3.5% of its bilateral allocable ODA) to address the immediate or underlying determinants of malnutrition in developing countries across a variety of sectors, such as emergency response, development food assistance and education.

• Committed USD 38.4 million (0.4% of its bilateral allocable ODA) to development co-operation projects and programmes that promote the inclusion and empowerment of persons with disabilities.

• Committed USD 48.6 million (0.6% 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 seeks exemptions and makes information available on the OECD Digital Transparency Hub on the Tax Treatment of ODA.

• Committed USD 3 billion (33.6% of its bilateral allocable ODA) to promote aid for trade and improve developing countries’ trade performance and integration into the world economy in 2024. France is among the top 10 official providers of aid for trade globally. Learn more by exploring the Aid for Trade dashboard.

In 2024, total official and private flows from France to developing countries amounted to USD 18.8 billion in net terms. Official sources accounted for USD 16.6 billion while USD 2.2 billion originated from private sources.

To help build markets in developing countries and incentivise greater mobilisation of private resources for development, many providers, including France, have established development finance institutions and similar vehicles that extend private sector instruments (PSI). French Development Agency (AFD)-PSI programmes, Société de Participation et de Promotion de la Coopération Économique (Proparco), STOA Infra & Energy (STOA) were assessed as ODA-eligible PSI vehicles. PSI represented 1.6% of France’s ODA in 2024 while the DAC average stood at 1.9%.

In 2024, AFD PSI programmes, Proparco and STOA extended USD 2.3 billion in the form of PSI to developing countries.3 Of this, loans accounted for 83% whereas equities accounted for 16.3%. Other private sector instruments included grants, guarantees and other unfunded contingent liabilities.

In 2024, USD 216.8 million (9.5%) of France’s private sector instruments were allocated to the LDCs and other low-income countries (LICs). By contrast, 64.3% was received by middle-income countries, notably upper middle-income countries (36.6%). USD 600.8 million was unallocated by income. France’s PSI primarily supported projects in the banking and financial services (26.9%) and industry, mining, construction (21.5%) sectors.

France uses leveraging mechanisms to mobilise private finance for sustainable development. In 2024, AFD and Proparco mobilised USD 2.2 billion from the private sector through credit lines, guarantees, simple co-financing, direct investment in companies and special purpose vehicles and shares in collective investment vehicles. This constituted a 59.1% increase compared to 2023.

Private finance mobilised by France in 2023-2024 mainly targeted middle-income countries, representing 69.3% of its total mobilised. Only 11.9% of total mobilised private finance during this period benefited the LDCs and other low-income countries (LICs), noting that 18.8% was unallocated by income.

Mobilised private finance by France in 2023-2024 related mainly to activities in banking and financial services (35.2%), as its top sector. Furthermore, over this period, 41.3% of France’s total mobilised private finance was for climate action.

Learn more by exploring the Mobilisation of private finance for development dashboard.

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 France as TOSSD totalled USD 32 billion, marking a 5% decrease compared with the previous year.4 France’s TOSSD activities mostly targeted SDG 13 (climate action), SDG 7 (affordable and clean energy) and SDG 17 (partnerships for the Goals).

Activity-level data on TOSSD by recipient are available at: https://tossd.online.

France’s ODA reflects a broad range of expenditures, combining spending under the dedicated ODA budget mission and activities financed through other programmes and budget lines overseen by multiple ministries, along with extra-budgetary funds. The institutional set-up consists of:

• The Presidential Council for International Partnerships, chaired by the President of the Republic and attended by the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs (MEAE) and the Minister of Economy, Finance, Industrial, Energy, and Digital Sovereignty, which takes strategic decisions pertaining to the development policy.

• The Interministerial Committee for International Co-operation and Development, chaired by the Prime Minister, which sets the general framework for France’s development co-operation and the articulation between the various actors and methods of intervention.

• The MEAE and the Minister of Economy have competency for implementing the policy.

• The AFD Group which, under the joint authority of the MEAE and the Minister of Economy, 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 1 470 staff working on development co-operation, 80% of whom serve abroad. The Minister of Economy has more than 64 staff members in its General Directorate of the Treasury working directly on development co-operation (excluding in development banks). AFD has more than 2 700 staff, 63% of whom are employed at headquarters and 37% in partner countries.

The National Council for Development and International Solidarity is France’s main mechanism for consulting stakeholders. It is chaired by the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs and consulted on the orientations of France’s development policy. It represents diverse stakeholders: NGOs, economic actors, research institutes and universities, employers, local government, parliamentarians, trade unions, and non‑French experts. CSOs active in development co-operation, humanitarian assistance and global citizenship education co-ordinate under the umbrella body, Coordination Sud.

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 (GPEDC).

Internal systems and processes help ensure the delivery of France’s development co-operation. The table below highlights select features.

Access the full list of development co-operation providers at: Development Co-operation Profiles.

2025 Summary of Decisions by the Presidential Council for International Partnerships: https://www.elysee.fr/emmanuel-macron/2025/04/06/releve-de-decisions-du-conseil-presidentiel-pour-les-partenariats-internationaux.

2024 OECD-DAC Peer Review of France: https://doi.org/10.1787/102d5469-en.

CSO umbrella body Coordination Sud: https://www.coordinationsud.org.

French Development Agency (AFD): https://www.afd.fr/fr.

Ministry of Economy, Finance and Industrial, Energy, 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/le-ministere-en-action/contribuer-a-une-mondialisation-durable-et-equilibree/lutter-contre-les-inegalites-mondiales#:~:text=Le%20projet%20de%20loi%20met,%C3%A0%20l'APD%20en%202025

Programming Act No. 2021-1031 on Inclusive Development and Combating Global Inequalities: https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/jorf/id/JORFTEXT000043898536.

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.