Vaccines deliver over US$ 30 billion in economic benefits for lower-income countries in 2025

Vaccines deliver over US$ 30 billion in economic benefits for lower-income countries in 2025

Gavi/2025/Svetlomir Slavchev

  • Gavi-supported immunisation generated more than US$ 30 billion in economic benefits in 2025, through lower healthcare costs and healthier, more productive populations

  • Recognising the value of immunisation, countries invested a record US$ 301 million in co-financing of Gavi-supported vaccines in 2025

  • Dr Sania Nishtar, Gavi CEO: "When it comes to immunisation we know that the return on investment extends far beyond health to supporting sustainable, inclusive economic growth.”

Geneva, 7 October 2026 – Vaccine programmes supported by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance (Gavi) generated more than US$ 30 billion in economic benefits in 2025, the highest annual total in the Alliance's history, according to Gavi's annual report published today. These gains came from preventing illness, death and long-term disability, sparing countries healthcare and wider societal costs, and ultimately helping children achieve higher educational attainment, leading to a longer, more productive working life.

In the same year, lower-income countries contributed a record US$ 301 million towards the cost of Gavi-supported vaccines through Gavi's co-financing model, under which countries progressively assume a greater share of vaccine costs as their economies grow. This reflects a broader trajectory: over the last five years, countries have matched the total they contributed over the previous 13 years combined, and from 2026–2030 implementing countries are projected to fund nearly 50% of the costs of their vaccines.

“Governments must take incredibly difficult decisions as to how they invest their budgets, however when it comes to immunisation we know that the return on investment extends far beyond health to supporting sustainable, inclusive economic growth. What is so heartening about this year’s figures is that not only is immunisation generating more economic return than ever but that countries are recognising this, and investing commensurately in their immunisation programmes,” said Dr Sania Nishtar, CEO of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.

Gavi’s Annual Progress Report also reveals that record public health impact was achieved in 2025. In total, Gavi-supported programmes immunised more than 73 million children and prevented more than 2.2 million future deaths. These are both record annual totals and bring Gavi's fifth strategic period (2021–2025) to a strong close, with more than 351 million children immunised against a target of 300 million children.

Five years of progress

From 2021–2025, vaccination helped avert more than 7.8 million future deaths, meeting Gavi's strategic target and bringing the total number of future deaths prevented since 2000 to more than 23 million. The strategic period also saw progress in building stronger immunisation systems and expanding access to vaccines. In 2025, the gap in routine immunisation coverage between Gavi-supported countries and the rest of the world fell to its lowest level on record. Together, these gains helped prevent disease outbreaks, easing the burden on health systems and helping protect the world from disease threats spreading across borders.

"When children are vaccinated, they are much more likely to grow up healthy, go to school and build a future. Last year, together with Gavi, we helped reach more children than ever before with routine vaccines. UNICEF will continue to work with our partners to help ensure that every child has access to life-saving immunisation," said UNICEF Executive Director, Catherine Russell 

"Immunisation delivers massive gains in lives saved and diseases prevented, but also in terms of economic benefits," said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. "Countries understand that the cost of failing to vaccinate is far too great, while the benefits extend across families, communities, economies and future generations."

A new chapter for immunisation

While Gavi has yet to meet its fundraising target for 2026–2030, the Alliance has maintained its ambition to protect 500 million more children, prevent 8–9 million future deaths, support a further 10% reduction in under-five mortality and generate more than US$ 100 billion in economic benefits from 2026–2030. Over the coming years, Gavi will also place emphasis on reaching children who continue to miss out on vaccination, particularly those living in conflict-affected and humanitarian settings. Central to these efforts is the Gavi Leap reform agenda, through which Gavi is aligning support more closely with national priorities, simplifying collaboration and maximising the impact of available resources, helping ensure that the benefits of immunisation continue to be felt by families, health systems and economies for years to come.

Notes to Editors

About Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance

Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance is a public-private partnership that helps vaccinate more than half the world’s children against some of the world’s deadliest diseases. The Vaccine Alliance brings together developing country and donor governments, the World Health Organization, UNICEF, the World Bank, the vaccine industry, technical agencies, civil society, the Gates Foundation and other private sector partners. View the full list of donor governments and other leading organisations that fund Gavi’s work here.

Since its inception in 2000, Gavi has helped to immunise a whole generation – over 1.3 billion children – and prevented more than 23 million future deaths, helping to halve child mortality in 78 lower income countries. Gavi also plays a key role in improving global health security by supporting health systems as well as funding global stockpiles for Ebola, cholera, meningococcal, mpox and yellow fever vaccines. After more than two decades of progress, Gavi is now focused on protecting the next generation, above all the zero-dose children who have not received even a single vaccine shot. The Vaccine Alliance employs innovative finance and the latest technology – from drones to biometrics – to save lives, prevent outbreaks before they can spread and help countries on the road to self-sufficiency. Learn more at www.gavi.org and connect with us on Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, X and YouTube.

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