Faisal Mahmud
09 October 2026•Update: 09 October 2026
China’s funding for multilateral development institutions has increased more than tenfold since 2010, though Beijing remains far behind European donors in financing international development, a study showed Thursday.
China’s contributions exceeded $3 billion in 2024, reflecting its expanding role in global financial institutions, according to the Washington-based Center for Global Development.
The European Union and its member states, however, remain the world’s largest collective providers of official development assistance, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.
European Union institutions alone provided $6.4 billion to multilateral organizations in 2024, although that figure covers a broader category of development financing.
The study found that China has increasingly directed its contributions toward development banks rather than UN agencies and specialized funds.
Chinese financial platform Sina Finance also reported the findings, highlighting Beijing’s growing commitments despite its limited influence within multilateral institutions.
China pledged $1.5 billion to the World Bank’s International Development Association, becoming its fifth-largest donor, while its multilateral climate financing reached about $5.3 billion in 2025.
Despite those contributions, China holds about 6% of voting shares at the World Bank, less than half the proportion suggested by its share of the global economy.
Western countries have resisted changes to voting structures that would give Beijing greater influence.
The findings come as traditional Western donors face growing pressure to maintain development assistance amid tightening budgets and rising international financing needs.
