The years 2023-2024 were defined by two escalating global crises: climate and conflict. After enduring the challenges of a historic pandemic, the world now faces an urgent need for resilience and collaboration to address these interconnected, borderless, human-made crises.
Moreover, the year 2024, marked by elections in countries representing half the world’s population—including key European SRHR donors like the EU, France, the UK, Belgium and Ireland (as well as the US)—became a stress test for democracy amidst a global surge in far-right parties, with outcomes shaping the geopolitical agenda on issues like international cooperation and the climate crisis.
If we are to surpass these challenges, we need to work together towards a shared vision for global solidarity rooted in equitable and just partnerships between countries.
Our new Tracking What Counts report—analyzing 2023 funding data and 2024 political stances of 13 European governments and EU institutions—reveals that while commitments to supporting sexual and reproductive safety worldwide were upheld, significant opportunities for progress remain unseized.
In 2023, European donors maintained SRH/FP funding at €1.661 billion. Overall SRHR funding increased by 10%, reaching €3.205 billion, though it is the first time since measuring SRHR funding (2020), that the number of countries decreasing funding in this area is actually higher than the one of those who are increasing it.
Moreover, despite a peak in overall ODA, the proportion allocated to SRH/FP and SRHR remained overall steady or slightly declined, leaving room for greater justice-driven investment that can self-empower people to lead healthy, safe and free sexual and reproductive lives.
It’s also concerning to see that for the first time since 2019, European donors decreased funding to UNFPA.
Thus, at the current rate of European funding for SRHR, it would take European donors approximately 350 years to provide what is needed from them within the next five years.
Lastly, our funding forecast suggests a concerning outlook for future support of people’s dignity and bodily autonomy in areas of greatest need, given several announced reductions in European countries’ ODA from 2025, compounded by the challenging U.S. political context. This comes at a time when European governments must raise the level of ambition and stand for global solidarity, justice and human rights for all, and not cut on an already severely hit sector.
Photo header: Nurse Querina Antonio during a mobile clinic visit at the accomodation center Dugudiua, Mozambique. IPPF/Isabel Corthier