In 2025, Basque institutions allocated more than 91 million euros to cooperation and solidarity

The Basque public institutions involved in development cooperation disbursed in 2025 a total of 91,671,189 euros, allocated to 1,278 projects and initiatives carried out in 68 countries, in addition to the Basque Country. These initiatives were managed by 242 organisations, mostly Basque NGDO’s, and implemented by 374 social organisations in the recipient territories, primarily local NGO’s. These figures are set out in the report Basque Cooperation in Figures 2025, published on the Basque Public Cooperation Portal.

Some key figures

At regional level, Latin America and the Caribbean continue to account for the largest share of Basque public cooperation funds, followed by the countries of sub-Saharan Africa, with both regions consolidating their position as the main geographical areas of intervention.

By country, Guatemala, El Salvador, Colombia and Peru are once again among the main recipients of the funds allocated by Basque institutions. Likewise, Palestine maintains a prominent position, reflecting Basque society’s commitment of solidarity with the Palestinian people. The majority of the funds allocated to this territory were channelled through humanitarian and emergency aid projects, which received 2,288,400 euros.

In the Basque Country, ‘Education for Social Transformation’ projects received 11,945,219 euros, representing 13.03 per cent of the total disbursed. These initiatives aim to foster a critical, supportive and engaged citizenship committed to addressing global and local challenges. Within this modality, the main intervention strategies continued to be Training (40.18 per cent) and Awareness-raising (33.74 per cent), with the informal education as the main field of action.

Development cooperation remained the main modality of intervention by Basque public institutions, accounting for 61.57 per cent of the funds disbursed. This was followed by humanitarian and emergency aid, at 18.01 per cent, and education for social transformation in the Basque Country, at 13.03 per cent.

The report also analyses the contribution of Basque public cooperation to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Of the total contribution to the 2030 Agenda through projects with disbursements in 2025, SDG 5 – Gender Equality – received the most funding (30.92 per cent), followed by SDG 16 – Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions (18.02 per cent) and SDG 2 – Zero Hunger (8.71 per cent).

These figures reflect the ongoing efforts of Basque public institutions to support processes of sustainable development, the strengthening of rights, peace-building and assistance to populations affected by humanitarian crises.

Inter-institutional transparency initiative

The Basque Public Cooperation Portal is an inter-institutional initiative involving eLankidetza – the Basque Agency for Cooperation and Solidarity of the Basque Government, the provincial councils of Álava, Bizkaia and Gipuzkoa, the city councils of Bilbao, Donostia-San Sebastian and Vitoria-Gasteiz, Zarautz Local Council and Euskal Fondoa – Association of Basque Local Entities for Cooperation. The initiative is supported by the Hegoa Institute at the University of the Basque Country (EHU).

This tool provides an overview of the solidarity initiatives supported by these nine institutions since 2014. These institutions allocate the largest volume of funds to initiatives of development cooperation, humanitarian and emergency aid, and education for social transformation.

Title: La cooperación vasca en cifras 2023 / Euskal lankidetza zenbakitan 2023 / Basque development cooperation in figures 2023
Author: Portal de la Cooperación Pública Vasca / Euskal Lankidetza Publikoaren Ataria
Date and place: Vitoria-Gasteiz, 2024 
Language: Español, euskera, inglés
Infographics: Español (1, 2), euskera (1, 2)

You can read the report in the Basque Public Cooperation Portal and in the Hegoa Digital Library.