Annual Statistical Report on UN Procurement

The United Nations procures goods and services from suppliers all over the world to support its activities and operations. Procurement statistics have been collected from organizations in the United Nations system and reported together since 1984, through the Annual Statistical Report on United Nations Procurement (ASR). This UN Procurement Data portal provides access to the latest procurement statistics through interactive data dashboards as well as the report itself.

In addition to providing data on procurement spend, this portal provides information on United Nations organizations' efforts to integrate sustainability considerations into their procurement processes, in the context of the United Nations' continued focus on sustainable development. 

The Annual Statistical Report on United Nations Procurement is produced by UNOPS on behalf of the United Nations.
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The most recent data available is for the calendar year 2021, when total UN procurement reached $29.6 billion - $7.3 billion or 32.5 per cent more than the previous year. Two new organizations - the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the World Trade Organization (WTO) - commenced reporting in the ASR in 2021. The total number of organizations reporting in the ASR in 2021 was 41. 

In 2021, the UN sourced goods and services from from suppliers in 223 different countries and territories, with growth across all geographical regions. The increase was the most pronounced in Latin America and the Caribbean, Europe, and Asia.

Procurement from developing countries, countries with economies in transition and least developed countries (LDCs) was worth $18.4 billion, or 62 per cent of the total UN procurement for 2021. Procurement from LDCs has increased year-on-year since 2016, reaching $4.5 billion in 2021, representing a $416 million or 10.2 per cent increase compared to 2020.

Health remained the the largest procurement sector of the UN system. Procurement in the sector almost doubled in 2021 to $10.6 billion, compared to $5.5 billion in 2021. A significant part of the increase in the sector was driven by procurement related to COVID-19 vaccines and their distribution.

Construction, engineering and science has been the second-largest sector, and in 2021 procurement in the sector reached $3.5 billion or 12 per cent of total UN procurement.

The top five sectors accounted for a total of $22.0 billion or almost three-quarters of the total UN procurement for 2021.

The response to the COVID-19 pandemic continued to form a significant part of UN operations in 2021, consequently featuring prominently in UN procurement. For the 2021 ASR, 35 organizations reported procurement of $2.1 billion worth of goods and services related to the COVID-19 response, up by $34 million compared to 2020. WHO remained the largest procuring organization with a total of $635 million, followed by UNDP ($570 million) and UNOPS ($500 million). 
 
In addition to the $2.1 billion of direct procurement, UNICEF reported that it delivered goods worth $352 million to 130 countries in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, excluding immunization related supplies. This statistics is not included in the section due to the nature of the organization’s approach to procuring in advance for preparedness and distributing from logistics hubs.

Furthermore, the section does not include the volume of COVID-19 vaccine procurement by UNICEF and PAHO due to confidentiality reasons that prevent the publication of detailed procurement statistics at present. However, the value of this procurement is included within the aggregated ASR data. For more details see the full report.

More detailed analysis can be found in the 2021 report and explored through the interactive data dashboards.