The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS)

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Global crisis response marks rapid growth in UN procurement

10 July 2025

UN procurement hit its third-highest level ever last year, as 32 UN organizations spent $25.7 billion on goods and services.

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The 41st edition of the Annual Statistical Report on UN Procurement, published by UNOPS on behalf of the UN system, analyzes the combined annual UN spending on goods and services in 2024, and presents an analysis of key trends in UN procurement in support of its operations, projects and programmes.

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According to the report, 2024 marked the third-largest year for UN procurement, after 2021 and 2022, with procurement volumes continuing to exceed pre-pandemic levels.

The figures in the Annual Report on UN Procurement highlight the UN system’s ongoing efforts to address complex global challenges and meet pressing needs.

Jorge Moreira da Silva - United Nations Under-Secretary-General and UNOPS Executive Director

As in past trends, the health sector remained the largest sector of UN procurement – including life-saving pharmaceuticals and vaccines – reaching $5.3 billion spent.

At the same time, the humanitarian aid, peace, security and safety sector was the fastest-growing across all categories, driven by the UN’s response to global crises.

“From the impacts of climate change to a growing number of conflicts, global poly-crises are creating extremely difficult conditions for millions of people and humanitarian needs are at record levels. The UN system is responding,” added Jorge Moreira da Silva.

In 2024, the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) saw the largest relative increase in procurement volume, rising by 86.7 per cent to $460 million. While Ukraine remained among the top 10 supplier countries – primarily due to ongoing recovery and reconstruction efforts. Procurement from suppliers in Sudan surged significantly, reflecting an intensified humanitarian response to the escalating conflict and displacement in the country.

“In complex and crisis-affected contexts, working with local suppliers can contribute significantly to supporting economic recovery, expediting humanitarian response, and fostering long-term resilience and peacebuilding," said Anne-Claire Howard, UNOPS Director of Procurement.

UN procurement in 2024: Key results

  • 222
    countries and territories supplied the UN in 2024.
  • $25.7B
    worth of goods and services procured by 32 UN organizations.
  • $1.4B
    spent in collaborative procurement – a growing share of UN procurement in 2024.
  • $189M
    worth of goods and services supplied by UNOPS to other UN organizations – the largest UN-to-UN procurement in 2024.
  • $5B
    worth of goods and services procured from Least Developed Countries.
  • +27.4%
    goods and services procured from Small Island Developing States compared to 2023.
  • $2.1B
    worth of goods and services supplied by the United States – the largest supplier country in 2024.

According to the report, UN procurement activities remained stable across regions – reflecting the continued global reach of UN operations. However, the Latin America and the Caribbean region saw significant growth, with Colombia emerging as the region’s largest supplier country and Ecuador also experiencing a sharp rise in procurement volume.

In 2024, sustainability remained a strong focus across the UN system’s procurement activities. Nineteen of the reporting organizations provided relevant personnel with training in sustainable procurement practices and 27 of them integrated environmental, social and economic considerations into their procurement processes. Recognizing the importance of supplier engagement in advancing sustainability, 13 organizations reported collaborating with their suppliers on supply chain sustainability efforts.

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