How many employees work at UNESCO?
United Nations Educational, Scientific & Cultural Org has approximately 5,420 total employees worldwide as of March 2026, according to Revelio Labs workforce intelligence data. UNESCO’s total headcount has grown 10.1% from 4,924 employees in 2023 to 5,420 in 2026.
Is UNESCO hiring right now?
Yes, UNESCO is actively hiring. UNESCO had 73 active job postings in 2026, a 62.3% decline from 2025 — see job openings & hiring trends.
About UNESCO’s Workforce
United Nations Educational, Scientific & Cultural Org is a Public Sector Management company that employs 5,420 people worldwide as of March 2026. It is the 8th-largest by headcount among its peers. Founded in 1945, the company is headquartered in Paris, France.
UNESCO's workforce has grown 10.1% from 2023 to 2026, though it is down 0.3% year over year in 2026. Its workforce is concentrated most in Western Europe (36.3%), followed by Sub-Saharan Africa (17.1%) and South America (9.0%).
UNESCO's functional groups are Finance and Operations (47.4%), Engineering (31.7%), and Sales and Marketing (20.9%), with Engineering growing fastest (up 0.8%). The average salary is $34,384, ranging from a median of $50,000 in Western Europe to $6,000 in South Asia, down 1.8% year over year in 2026.
UNESCO's active job postings fell 62.3% in 2026 to 73, with new postings per month cooling from 99 in 2023 to 87 in 2026. Overall employee sentiment is neutral but improving.
Sourced from Revelio Labs workforce data.
- Headquarters
- Paris, France
- Founded
- 1945
- Industry
- Public Sector Management
- Employees
- 5,420
- YoY
- -0.3% (+144)
As of March 2026
UNESCO workforce metrics
Unlock hiring rate, attrition rate, and 12 additional workforce metrics for UNESCO. Compare to peers, export the dataset, and access the full quarterly history.
Unlock MetricsUNESCO Annual Employee Count (2023-2026)
- UNESCO had 5,420 employees in 2026, a 0.3% decline (+144) from 2025.
- UNESCO had 5,365 employees in 2025, a 0.8% increase (+251) from 2024.
- UNESCO had 5,114 employees in 2024, a 0.7% increase (+181) from 2023.
- UNESCO had 4,933 employees in 2023, a 1.1% increase (+134) from 2022.
UNESCO's total workforce has grown from 4,924 employees in 2023 to 5,420 in 2026.
United Nations Educational, Scientific & Cultural Org quarterly employee count
| Year | Qtr | Employees | YoY Change | YoY % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Q1 | 5,420 | +144 | -0.3% |
| 2025 | Q4 | 5,365 | +251 | +0.8% |
| 2025 | Q3 | 5,467 | +238 | +1.6% |
| 2025 | Q2 | 5,471 | +257 | +1.3% |
| 2025 | Q1 | 5,276 | +209 | +0.7% |
| 2024 | Q4 | 5,114 | +181 | +0.7% |
| 2024 | Q3 | 5,229 | +237 | +1.2% |
| 2024 | Q2 | 5,214 | +290 | +1.9% |
| 2024 | Q1 | 5,067 | +282 | +2.3% |
| 2023 | Q4 | 4,933 | +134 | +1.1% |
| 2023 | Q3 | 4,992 | +172 | +1.8% |
| 2023 | Q2 | 4,924 | +166 | +2.3% |
See UNESCO's complete headcount history, including quarterly breakdowns.
Get the DataUNESCO Employee Count by Region (2026)
Western Europe accounts for the largest share of UNESCO's global workforce with approximately 36% of total employees, followed by Sub-Saharan Africa and South America.
UNESCO employees by region
| Region | Employees | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Western Europe | 1,937 | 36.3% |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | 910 | 17.1% |
| South America | 483 | 9.0% |
| South Asia | 425 | 8.0% |
| Arab States | 264 | 4.9% |
| Southeast Asia | 262 | 4.9% |
| North America | 197 | 3.7% |
| Central America and the Caribbean | 188 | 3.5% |
| North Africa | 157 | 2.9% |
| Southern Europe | 138 | 2.6% |
Drill into city-level data, hiring trends by region, and historic geographic shifts.
Unlock Geographic DataUNESCO Employee Count by Department (2026)
UNESCO's employee groups are Finance and Operations (47.4%), Engineering (31.7%), and Sales and Marketing (20.9%).
UNESCO employees by department
| Department | Employees | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Finance and Operations | 2,535 | 47.4% |
| Engineering | 1,698 | 31.7% |
| Sales and Marketing | 1,116 | 20.9% |
Compare UNESCO's department mix to industry peers.
See Full DataUNESCO Employee Salary by Region (2026)
UNESCO's average employee salary is $34,384 globally. Employees in Western Europe receive the highest compensation, with median pay approximately 1.5x the global average. Pay is lowest in South Asia, at a median of $6,000.
UNESCO median employee salary by region (USD)
| Region | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| North America | $68,000 |
| Northern Europe | $55,000 |
| Western Europe | $50,000 |
| Southern Europe | $36,000 |
| Pacific Islands | $29,000 |
| East Asia | $24,000 |
| Eastern Europe | $20,000 |
| Arab States | $16,000 |
| Central America and the Caribbean | $16,000 |
| South America | $13,000 |
| Southeast Asia | $12,000 |
| North Africa | $11,000 |
| Central and Western Asia | $10,000 |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | $8,000 |
| South Asia | $6,000 |
Unlock salary by role, level, and city — and compare to UNESCO's industry peers.
Unlock Salary DataUNESCO Job Openings and Hiring Trends (2023-2026)
- UNESCO had 73 active job postings in 2026, a 62.3% decline (+23) from 2025.
- UNESCO had 50 active job postings in 2025, a 146.1% decline (-271) from 2024.
- UNESCO had 321 active job postings in 2024, a 6.0% decline (-20) from 2023.
- UNESCO had 341 active job postings in 2023, a 165.7% increase from 2022.
- Hiring velocity in 2026: 87 new roles/month, down from 117 in 2025 and 132 in 2024.
UNESCO's hiring is slowing: active job postings fell 62.3% in 2026 to 73, with new postings per month cooling from 99 in 2023 to 87 in 2026.
Track new postings per month, role-level demand, and hiring velocity vs. peers.
Unlock Hiring DataUNESCO Employee Sentiment (2026)
Revelio Labs tracks employee sentiment across UNESCO's workforce based on public professional data. Overall sentiment is neutral and has improved year over year in 2026.
Overall
Unlock the full sentiment breakdown by department, tenure, and trend over time.
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Frequently Asked Questions About UNESCO
- How fast is UNESCO growing?
- In 2026, UNESCO's headcount shrank 0.3% to 5,420 employees, up from 5,276 in 2025.
- See the full headcount history
- Where are UNESCO employees located?
- Most UNESCO employees are based in Western Europe (36.3% of headcount), followed by Sub-Saharan Africa and South America.
- Explore where the workforce is based
- What is the average salary at UNESCO?
- The average employee salary at UNESCO is approximately $34.4k per year.
- Analyze the salary distribution
- How many new job postings does UNESCO open per year?
- In Q1 2026, UNESCO opened 261 new job postings. In 2025, UNESCO opened 1,408 new job postings — about 117 per month.
- Track hiring trends by role
- When was UNESCO founded and where is it headquartered?
- UNESCO was founded in 1945 and is headquartered in Paris, France.
- Compare UNESCO to industry peers
Speak with a workforce expert about UNESCO.
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