Funding for Development Data: Old patterns, new trends and a renewed call for urgent action

he international development co-operation landscape is shifting. Traditional donors are managing competing demands for their constrained resources, and new players are coming onto the field. But what does this mean for development data—the so-called lifeblood of evidence-based policymaking and the key to tracking the SDGs???

?Since the launch of the SDGs, data has been heralded as a core input for progress—with some going as far as to say it is the new oil.? Back in 2014, the landmark report "A World That Counts" highlighted the urgency of investing in data and building statistical capacity, while the 2015 Addis Ababa Action Agenda reaffirmed global commitments to support developing countries in strengthening their national statistical systems. Shortly after in 2017 the OECD dedicated its annual Development Cooperation Report to the subject saying that “the value of data in enabling development in uncontested.”? Now, with global leaders gathering for the UN General Assembly and Summit of the Future, discussions are turning toward reshaping global governance and strengthening international frameworks—particularly around digitalization and AI.? Financing data is key to ensuring informed decision-making and accountability in these emerging areas but will it be recognized as such???

?Lastly, the upcoming? International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD) in June 2025 provides another crucial opportunity to focus on data as a key input to achieving shared global goals and fostering sustainable development.??

?Every year, PARIS21 publishes the Partner Report on Support to Statistics (PRESS), a look at funding flows for development data and statistics. This report, along with data published on the Clearinghouse for Financing Development Data, offers a window into the current funding landscape.??

?Who are the top donors? Which sectors are attracting the most investment? Which ones are being left behind? The report helps answer the big picture question—are calls for more and smarter data financing being heard??

?While the PRESS Report is set for release in November, we’re beginning to tease out some initial takeaways.??

?Spoiler alert: funding for development data still falls far short of demand. This has been a recurring theme over the years, and unfortunately, this upcoming edition of PRESS will be no exception. However, there are interesting trends that could shake things up.?

?To start, many working in development hoped for a significant increase in funding for data yet this has not materialized. While there are a few reliable DAC donors that year after year provide much needed resources to the field, data does not make it onto the list of priorities of many traditional donors, perhaps because investments in say vaccines or schools might seem easier to explain to a skeptical home audience. At a moment where development aid gets further scrutinized in DAC countries with lots of pressure to reduce it, the risk is that investment in data will be affected firsthand, further complicating the situation for under-resourced statistical systems in low-income countries.??

?On the other hand, and very much welcome, donors such as Poland, Saudi Arabia, Thailand and Türkiye, as well as private foundations such as Helmsley Charitable Trust, Rockefeller Foundation, Wellcome Trust, IKEA Foundation and MacArthur Foundation are emerging as significant contributors. This is good news as they join well established ones like the Gates and Hewlett Foundations and Bloomberg Philanthropies just to name a few. The increasing importance of philanthropy will have a bearing on what gets supported and what less in terms of topical areas, something to watch out for.??

?Not surprisingly, this years’ PRESS report demonstrates how this shift reflects the broader change seen in development aid, with a growing interest in sectors like technology, innovation, and digitalization. As we know, AI is experiencing significant fanfare with investments projected to approach USD 200 billion by 2025 according to Goldman Sachs Economic Research. The question remains how can we ensure AI tools are made available for the production and use of statistics in the Global South too? Discussions with a broad array of partners from multilateral development banks to academia have begun to show opportunities for the use of AI for development data.??

?Our final takeaway is one that raises great concern: the situation of funding gender data has worsened since 2022, with even less donor diversification. Nearly three quarters of the funding continues to be supplied by just five donors. This is a prime example of where and why diversification is crucial und urgent.? The last two years have also shown an alarming decoupling between funding for gender equality and funding for gender data – a trend that must be rectified.??

?With the Summit of the Future this week and FfD on the horizon in 2025, we finally have an opportunity to change the course.? While new players in the funding space is welcome, traditional donors have and should continue to play an important role. This would be both in the interest of the “west” and “the rest” alike as critical global public goods like climate change data rely heavily on quality data and evidence.???

?Stay tuned—November’s report will provide the full picture.?

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