facts and figures

Development service in figures

At the end of each year, we collect the latest figures on development service. How many professional development workers are working under a development service contract at this point in time? In which countries are they working? How many of them are abroad with their families? How old do professional development workers tend to be? And what is the gender balance?

This is where you can find up-to-date figures. The data are often broken down according to sending agency. There is considerable variation in the number of professionals sent out by the individual sending agencies. And the agencies tend to focus on different geographical regions and fields of work as well.

professional development workers statistic 2022

On 31.12.2022, a total of 892 professional development workers were under contract, including 361 within the Civil Peace Service (ZFD).

Geographical distribution  Professionals per agency  Age  Gender balance  Type of placement

Source: Survey conducted by the Association of Development Services (AGdD)

Reference date: 31.12.2022

Countries of operation

Professionals work in over 80 countries around the world. The interactive map shows how many professionals are currently working in each country. 

Zur Interaktiven Karte

Regional breakdown

  Europe Africa America Asia Oceania Total
AGIAMONDO 2 107 61 62 1 233
Coworkers-CFI 2 49 7 12 1 71
Dienste in Übersee (Service oversea) 0 42 45 49 6 142
EIRENE 9 13 4 11 0 37
forumZFD 12 0 0 20 0 32
GIZ 3 194 39 117 0 353

Weltfriedensdienst (World Peace service)

0 13 5 6 0 24
Total 28 418 161 277 8 892
Total in % 3,1 46,9 18 31,1 0,9 100

 

Since 2020, the regional allocation of the statistics has been based on the DAC country list (DAC stands for 'Development Assistance Committee' of the European Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD)). Source: www.bmz.de).

Professionals working in Israel and Taiwan (countries which are not on the DAC list) were counted as working in Asia. Africa remains the main regional focus for the deployment of professionals with 46,9%, i.e. almost half of all professionals, followed by Asia (including the Middle East) with 31,1%. Professional development workers were serving in a total of 85 countries worldwide (in 2021 there were 84 countries); three countries, Angola, Fiji and Haiti, have been added. Details can be found in the country statistics.

Age structure

Age Professional Development Workers
<30 years 74
31-40 years 327
41-50 years 205
>50 years 286

 

Gender ratio professional development workers

Gender Number of professionals
Women 53%
Men 47%

 

Proportion of professionals serving in the Civil Peace Service Programme

 According to agencies with contract according EhfG; Reference date 31.12.2022

Type of intervention

AGIAMONDO Coworkers CFI

Dienste in Übersee (Service Overseas)

Eirene forumZFD GIZ World Peace Service Total
professionals 233 71 142 37 32 353 24 892
of which civil peace service 105 0 49 37 32 118 13 364