How Much Do Countries Contribute to the EU Budget? 🤔

What we’re showing

This graphic shows net contributions to the EU budget, by member state. Data is based on the EU's 2021 budget year, and was accessed via Statista.

Key takeaways

• 9 member states contribute more than they receive, with the largest contributions coming from Germany and France
• The remaining 18 member states are net beneficiaries 

How the EU budget works

The EU’s budget is designed to fund shared projects that benefit the union as a whole. Member states contribute to the budget based on their economic size and gross national income (GNI).

The budget redistributes resources from wealthier member states to promote overall cohesion and growth across the entire EU.

A factor in Brexit

The UK’s status as a net contributor to the EU budget was one factor that influenced its decision to leave the EU. A common argument was that its contributions could be used for domestic priorities instead.