Development Co‑operation Profiles: Romania
Table of contents
Romania’s development co-operation focuses on the extended Black Sea region, the Western Balkans, Africa and the Middle East. The Republic of Moldova is the main beneficiary of Romania’s bilateral international development co-operation and humanitarian assistance efforts. Since December 2025, Romania is an Associate member of the Development Assistance Committee (DAC). The largest proportion of Romania’s official development assistance (ODA) is provided via European Union (EU) institutions. Romania’s total ODA (USD 563 million, preliminary data) decreased in 2025, representing 0.14% of gross national income (GNI).
This profile presents verified data on Romania’s development assistance allocations. See the Development Co-operation Profiles.
Law No. 213/2016 regulates Romania’s international development co-operation and humanitarian assistance by setting out the strategic objectives, the programmatic and institutional framework, and the financing and implementation modalities. The “2024-2027 Multiannual Strategic Programme of International Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Assistance” is the current policy framework guiding Romania’s development co-operation and humanitarian assistance. Romania’s strategic objective is to contribute to eradicating extreme poverty through effective partnerships with partner countries to achieve their sustainable development objectives.
Since 2024, Romania’s focus has been on ten priority countries and territories: Albania, Ethiopia, Georgia, Mauritania, Moldova, the West Bank and Gaza Strip, Senegal, Serbia, the United Republic of Tanzania and Ukraine. Thematic priorities include: institutional development; green transition, the environment and climate change; and human development. The majority of Romania’s multilateral contributions go to the European Union.
In 2025, Romania undertook a DAC Accession Review, which concluded that Romania meets DAC Associate conditions. The review highlighted that Romania has solid legal, policy and institutional frameworks for development co‑operation and has exceeded the USD 100 million ODA benchmark for over a decade, though progress toward its 2030 ODA/GNI target remains uncertain. It aligns with DAC legal instruments, participates actively in DAC bodies and reports detailed statistics. Further improvements are needed in sustaining ODA levels, streamlining thematic and geographic priorities, strengthening institutional capacity and resources, enabling multi‑year budgeting and programming, enhancing accountability, and improving monitoring and evaluation for development effectiveness.
Romania provided USD 563 million (preliminary data) of ODA in 2025 (USD 514.2 million in constant terms), representing 0.14% of GNI.1 This was a decrease of 12.4% in real terms in volume and a decrease in the share of GNI from 2024. In recent years Romania has strived to grow its ODA allocations, albeit with fluctuation. Romania is not in line with its commitment, at the European level, to achieve 0.33% ODA/GNI and collectively a 0.7% ODA/GNI ratio by 2030. Total ODA on a grant-equivalent basis has the same value as net ODA under the cash-flow methodology used in the past, as Romania provides only grants.
In 2025, Romania ranked 25th among Development Assistance Committee (DAC) members in terms of ODA volume and 29th when ODA is taken as a share of GNI. In 2024, Romania ranks first among the DAC for share of gross bilateral ODA to landlocked Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and second for share of ODA towards civil society organisations (CSOs) in developing countries.
Romania is committed to several international targets and DAC standards and recommendations. Learn more about DAC Recommendations.
Notes: This table only includes information about ODA data-related DAC recommendations. ODA: official development assistance; GNI: gross national income; DAC: Development Assistance Committee.
Romania provided most of its ODA multilaterally in 2024. Gross bilateral ODA was 27.1% of total ODA disbursements. Of this, 8% was channelled through multilateral organisations (earmarked contributions).
In 2024, Romania provided USD 440.9 million of gross ODA to the multilateral system, an increase of 17.6% in real terms from 2023. Of this, USD 428.2 million was core multilateral ODA (72.9% of total ODA), while USD 12.7 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 1% of Romania’s non-core contributions, and 99% was programmatic funding (to pooled funds and specific-purpose programmes and funds). The European institutions (USD 419.5 million) are by far Romania’s main multilateral partner.
The United Nations (UN) system received 2.9% of Romania’s contributions to multilateral organisations, of which USD 500 000 (3.6%) represented earmarked contributions. Out of a total volume of USD 12.7 million to the UN system, the top three UN recipients of Romania’s support (core and earmarked contributions) were the UN Secretariat (USD 5.1 million), the World Health Organization (USD 1.4 million) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (USD 1.3 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, Romania’s bilateral spending declined compared to the previous year. It provided USD 158.8 million of gross bilateral ODA (which includes earmarked contributions to multilateral organisations). This represented a decrease of 30.5% in real terms from 2023.
In 2024, country programmable aid amounted to USD 23.2 million, or 14.6% of Romania’s gross bilateral ODA, compared to the DAC country average of 46.5%.
Romania’s in-donor refugee costs amounted to USD 47.8 million (30.1% of gross bilateral ODA) in 2024, while humanitarian aid was USD 6.7 million, or 4.2% of gross bilateral ODA.
In 2024, Romania channelled its bilateral ODA mainly through public sector. Technical co-operation made up 14.4% of gross ODA in 2024.
In 2024, CSOs received USD 600 000 of gross bilateral ODA, of which 40.3% was directed to developing country-based CSOs. No bilateral ODA was allocated to CSOs as core contributions and 0.4% 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 slightly increased as a share of bilateral ODA, from 0.2% to 0.4%. 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, Romania’s bilateral ODA primarily focused on ODA-eligible countries in Europe. USD 98 million was allocated to ODA-eligible countries in Europe (of which 17.7% for Ukraine) and USD 4.8 million to Middle East, accounting respectively for 61.7% and 3% of gross bilateral ODA. USD 2.8 million was allocated to countries in Africa. Countries in Europe were the main regional recipient of Romania’s earmarked contributions to multilateral organisations.
In 2024, 64.8% of gross bilateral ODA went to Romania’s top 10 recipients primarily in Europe, namely Moldova, as well as the Middle East. The share of gross bilateral ODA not allocated by country was 32.2%, of which 93.5% consisted of expenditures for processing and hosting refugees in provider countries.
In 2024, Romania allocated 0.01% of its GNI to the least developed countries (LDCs). Romania allocated the highest share of gross bilateral ODA (53.3%) to upper middle-income countries in 2024, noting that 32.2% was unallocated by income group. LDCs received 0.8% of Romania’s gross bilateral ODA (USD 1.3 million). Additionally, Romania allocated 49.3% of gross bilateral ODA to land-locked developing countries in 2024, equal to USD 78.2 million.
The distribution of Romania’s ODA in net terms in relation to “ODA per person in extreme poverty”2 was USD 0.5 in lower middle-income countries (LMICs) and USD 1.1 in upper middle-income countries.
In 2025, Romania provided USD 22 million of net bilateral ODA to Ukraine to respond to the impacts of the Russian Federation’s full-scale invasion, a 15.8% increase from 2024 in real terms. None of this was provided in the form of humanitarian assistance3.
Support to contexts with high and extreme fragility was USD 6.1 million in 2024, representing 3.8% of Romania’s gross bilateral ODA. Of this ODA, 22.9% was provided in the form of humanitarian assistance, a decrease from 48.7% in 2023, while 0.2% was allocated to peace, a decrease from 0.4% in 2023. Conflict prevention, a subset of contributions to peace, represented 0.2% of gross bilateral ODA, remaining stable compared to 2023.
Learn more about the States of Fragility platform.
In 2024, more than half of Romania’s bilateral ODA was allocated to social infrastructure and services. Investments in this area accounted for 56.7% of bilateral ODA commitments (USD 90.1 million), with a strong focus on support to education (USD 81.1 million), government and civil society (USD 4.5 million) and other social infrastructure and services (USD 4.4 million). ODA for other macro sectors totalled USD 61.9 million, with a focus on refugees in donor countries (USD 47.8 million). Humanitarian assistance amounted to USD 6.7 million (4.2% of bilateral ODA). Earmarked contributions to multilateral organisations also focused on social sectors and other macro sectors in 2024.
In the period 2023-2024, Romania committed 0.2% of screened bilateral allocable ODA to gender equality and women’s empowerment compared to 100% in 2021-2022 and a DAC average of 48.2% in 2023-2024. This is equal to USD 100 000 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 0.1% in 2023-2024, compared with the DAC average of 4.2%.
Romania includes gender equality objectives in 0% of ODA for humanitarian aid, below the 2023‑2024 DAC average of 21.5%.
Romania screens less than half of bilateral allocable ODA against the DAC gender equality policy marker (46.1% in 2023-2024).
Romania committed USD 0 million of ODA to end violence against women and girls, and USD 0 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, Romania committed 0.2% of its total bilateral allocable ODA (USD 200 000) in support of the environment and the Rio Conventions, remaining stable compared to 2021-2022. The DAC average was 39%. In addition:
Less than 1% of screened bilateral allocable ODA focused on environmental issues as a principal objective, compared with the DAC average of 11.2%.
Learn more about the DAC Declaration on Aligning Development Co-operation with the Goals of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change.
In 2024, Romania:
Allocated 0.1% of its bilateral ODA (USD 200 000) 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. No ODA went to social protection support. Learn more by exploring the Reducing poverty and inequalities through ODA data explainer.
Committed USD 1.3 million (1.2% 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.
Committed USD 100 000 (0.1% of its bilateral allocable ODA) to promote aid for trade and improve developing countries’ trade performance and integration into the world economy in 2024. Learn more by exploring the Aid for Trade dashboard.
In 2024, total official and private flows from Romania to developing countries amounted to USD 587 million in net terms. Official sources accounted for USD 587 million.
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 Romania as TOSSD totalled USD 735.8 million, marking a 6% decrease compared with the previous year. Romania’s TOSSD activities mostly targeted SDG 17 (partnerships for the Goals), SDG 4 (quality education) and SDG 10 (reduced inequalities).
Activity-level data on TOSSD by recipient are available at: https://tossd.online.
Romania’s development co‑operation is led by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA). The Department for Interinstitutional Relations and Development Co‑operation supervises the Development Co‑operation and Humanitarian Aid Policy Directorate (DPDU), which is responsible for strategic planning, ODA reporting, and alignment with OECD instruments. RoAid, the Romanian Development Co‑operation Agency, is a public institution with legal personality subordinated to the MFA. It implements projects and programmes in international development co‑operation and humanitarian assistance. The agency has promoted partnerships with the private sector and non-governmental organisations. The Ministry of Public Finance plays an important role in ODA allocations due to the substantive assessed contributions to the EU. Whole‑of‑government co‑ordination is ensured through the Advisory Committee on International Co‑operation and Humanitarian Assistance, chaired by the MFA.
A total of 47 full-time staff work on development co-operation (21 in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs including embassies and diplomatic representations and 26 in RoAid), and additional part-time staff in line ministries and other government institutions. In addition to the core staff in the MFA and the agency, staff working partially on development co-operation are distributed across a range of government bodies, diplomatic representations and public universities. Further recruitments of technical experts (e.g. in RoAid) are being considered to strengthen Romania’s expertise in certain areas based on project needs
An important mechanism for consulting stakeholders is the Advisory Committee on International Co-operation and Humanitarian Assistance, which operates under the co-ordination of the MFA, with RoAid as its technical Secretariat. CSOs active in development co-operation, humanitarian assistance and global citizenship education co-ordinate through the umbrella body FOND-Romania.
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.
Romania does not report to the Global Partnership monitoring exercise.
Internal systems and processes help ensure the delivery of Romania’s development co-operation. The table below highlights select features.
Access the full list of providers at: Development Co-operation Profiles.
The 2024-2027 Multiannual Strategic Programme of International Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Assistance: https://roaid.ro/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/en_2024-2027_multiannual_strategic_programme_of_international_development.pdf.
Law 213 of November 9th, 2016 on International Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Assistance: https://www.mae.ro/sites/default/files/file/anul_2024/pdf_2024/law_213_2016_en.pdf.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs: https://www.mae.ro/en/node/2062.
Romanian Agency for International Development Cooperation website (2024): https://roaid.ro/en/2382-2.
Romania became an Associate Member of the OECD Development Assistance Committee (DAC) in 2025.
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.
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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. 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. It estimates how much ODA each person in extreme poverty would receive if total ODA was divided evenly among the extreme poor. This metric does not measure the amount of ODA actually received by each person in extreme poverty, nor does it measure how much ODA goes to poverty reduction. It instead highlights patterns in total ODA allocations relative to the number of people living 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. See the methodological notes for further details.
← 3. Romania did not provide complete data for ODA to Ukraine in their submission of preliminary 2025 data.