How many employees work at UNEP?
United Nations Environment Programme has approximately 3,507 total employees worldwide as of March 2026, according to Revelio Labs workforce intelligence data. UNEP's total headcount has grown 1.6% from 3,450 employees in 2023 to 3,507 in 2026.
Data source: Revelio LabsCoverage: Global workforce, 2023–2026Published July 2026
Is UNEP hiring right now?
Yes, UNEP is actively hiring. UNEP had 119 active job postings in 2026, a 26.7% increase from 2025 — see job openings & hiring trends.
About UNEP's Workforce
United Nations Environment Programme is a Public Sector Management company that employs 3,507 people worldwide as of March 2026. It is the 3rd-largest by headcount among its peers. Founded in 1972, the company is headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya.
UNEP's workforce has grown 1.6% from 2023 to 2026, though it is down 3.5% year over year in 2026. Its workforce is concentrated most in Kenya (38.1%), followed by Switzerland (8.0%) and France (7.9%), with Panama, its fastest-growing location.
UNEP's largest functional groups are Finance and Operations (50.6%), Engineering (26.3%), and Sales and Marketing (23.2%). Median employee tenure is 4.2 years. The average salary is $37,441, ranging from a median of $79,000 in Northern America to $8,000 in Southern Asia.
UNEP's active job postings rose 26.7% in 2026 to 119, with new postings per month cooling from 201 in 2023 to 90 in 2026. Overall employee sentiment is neutral but declining.
Sourced from Revelio Labs workforce data.
As of March 2026
UNEP
workforce metrics
Headcount
3.5k
3.5% YoY
Avg. Salary
$37.4k
0.4% YoY
Tenure
4.2yr
0.1yr YoY
Growth Rate
-3.5%
1.7pts YoY
Hiring Rate
Attrition Rate
Unlock hiring rate, attrition rate, and 12 additional workforce metrics for UNEP. Compare to peers, export the dataset, and access the full quarterly history.
- UNEP had 3,507 employees in 2026, a 3.5% decline (-119) from 2025.
- UNEP had 3,536 employees in 2025, a 2.5% decline (-5) from 2024.
- UNEP had 3,541 employees in 2024, a 2.5% decline (-30) from 2023.
- UNEP had 3,571 employees in 2023, a 0.2% increase (+169) from 2022.
UNEP's total workforce has grown from 3,450 employees in 2023 to 3,507 in 2026.
United Nations Environment Programme — quarterly employee count (2023–2026)
| Year | Qtr | Employees | YoY Change | YoY % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Q1 | 3,507 | -119 | -3.5% |
| 2025 | Q4 | 3,536 | -5 | -2.5% |
| 2025 | Q3 | 3,604 | -13 | -2.6% |
| 2025 | Q2 | 3,657 | +39 | -1.5% |
| 2025 | Q1 | 3,626 | +45 | -1.8% |
| 2024 | Q4 | 3,541 | -30 | -2.5% |
| 2024 | Q3 | 3,617 | +117 | -1.0% |
| 2024 | Q2 | 3,618 | +168 | +0.2% |
| 2024 | Q1 | 3,581 | +159 | +0.6% |
| 2023 | Q4 | 3,571 | +169 | +0.2% |
| 2023 | Q3 | 3,500 | +84 | +0.6% |
| 2023 | Q2 | 3,450 | +45 | -0.1% |
Want to see UNEP's complete headcount history back to 2008, including quarterly breakdowns?
Kenya accounts for the largest share of UNEP's global workforce with approximately 38% of total employees, followed by Switzerland and France. UNEP's headcount in Panama is growing fastest among its major locations, up 5.4% year over year in 2026.
UNEP employees by country — 2026
| Country | Employees | % of Total | YoY % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenya | 1,319 | 38.1% | -4.6% |
| Switzerland | 276 | 8.0% | -7.0% |
| France | 274 | 7.9% | +2.7% |
| United States | 140 | 4.1% | -3.9% |
| Thailand | 115 | 3.3% | +2.5% |
| Panama | 91 | 2.6% | +5.4% |
| India | 90 | 2.6% | -1.5% |
| Canada | 81 | 2.3% | -1.4% |
| Brazil | 66 | 1.9% | -7.3% |
| United Kingdom | 49 | 1.4% | +12.1% |
Drill into city-level data, hiring trends by region and historic geographic shifts
UNEP's largest employee groups are Finance and Operations (50.6%), Engineering (26.3%), and Sales and Marketing (23.2%).
UNEP employees by department — 2026
| Department | Employees | % of Total | YoY % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Finance and Operations | 1,727 | 50.6% | -1.2% |
| Engineering | 898 | 26.3% | -4.6% |
| Sales and Marketing | 791 | 23.2% | -4.6% |
Compare UNEP's department mix to industry peers.
UNEP's average employee salary is $37,441 globally. Employees in Northern America receive the highest compensation, with median pay approximately 2.1x the global average. Pay is lowest in Southern Asia, at a median of $8,000.
UNEP median employee salary by region — 2026 (USD)
| Region | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Northern America | $79,000 |
| Western Europe | $71,000 |
| Northern Europe | $68,000 |
| Eastern Asia | $38,000 |
| Southern Europe | $37,000 |
| Pacific Islands | $36,000 |
| Central America and the Caribbean | $31,000 |
| Eastern Europe | $29,000 |
| Arab States | $27,000 |
| Southern America | $19,000 |
| Central and Western Asia | $19,000 |
| South-Eastern Asia | $19,000 |
| Northern Africa | $17,000 |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | $14,000 |
| Southern Asia | $8,000 |
Unlock salary by role, level, and city — and compare to UNEP's industry peers.
- UNEP had 119 active job postings in 2026, a 26.7% increase (+103) from 2025.
- UNEP had 16 active job postings in 2025, a 56.0% increase (+7) from 2024.
- UNEP had 9 active job postings in 2024, a 150.0% decline (-54) from 2023.
- UNEP had 63 active job postings in 2023, a 23.8% decline from 2022.
- Hiring velocity in 2026: 90 new roles/month, up from 82 in 2025 and 5 in 2024. New metric
UNEP's active job postings rose 26.7% in 2026 to 119, with new postings per month cooling from 201 in 2023 to 90 in 2026.
Track new postings per month, role-level demand, and hiring velocity vs. peers.
Revelio Labs tracks employee sentiment across UNEP's workforce based on public professional data. Overall sentiment is neutral and has declined year over year in 2026.
Overall
Unlock the full sentiment breakdown by department, tenure, and trend over time.
Similar Public Sector Management Companies by Employee Count
- How fast is UNEP growing?
- In 2026, UNEP's headcount shrank 3.5% to 3,507 employees, down from 3,626 in 2025.
- Where are UNEP employees located?
- Most UNEP employees are based in Kenya (38.1% of headcount), followed by Switzerland and France.
- What is the average salary at UNEP?
- The average employee salary at UNEP is approximately $37.4k per year.
- How many people does UNEP hire per year?
- In 2026, UNEP opened roughly 1,080 new roles — about 90 per month.
- When was UNEP founded and where is it headquartered?
- UNEP was founded in 1972 and is headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya.
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