Development of National Hydro-Meteorological Services (NHMS) budget worldwide from 2020-2025

This study presents a comprehensive global analysis of the budgets of National Hydro-Meteorological Services (NHMS) over the period 2020–2025, across more than 150 countries spanning Europe, Asia, Africa, North and South America and Oceania. The research has collected the extent and development of NHMS financing, and made them comparable in common currency. Where available , the budget are distinguished between public (government) funding and service-generated revenue.
The study also presents the personnel resources, and evaluates the expense per employee, and summarises differences between countries of different economic zones.
The study proposes a combination of methodologies to find and analyse NHMS budgets and employment, and is the first such worldwide, which makes NHMS investment and employment comparable amongst countries.
For better understanding of the funding structures, the countries are divided into different clusters of climate, GDP per capita and NHMS funding. The study thereby shows differences in the NHMS funding levels between countries. Despite their high socio-economic value- estimated to yield benefits at least ten times greater than investment costs , the NHMS their funding levels remain relatively modest and unevenly distributed globally. Available evidence indicates that NHMS budgets typically represent only a very small fraction of GDP, averaging approximately <0.1 to 10 US$/capita in sampled countries, with relatively lower ratios in low-income and some very large nations .
As complement to the NHMS funding, data from previous studies on private weather services are included to assess the level public in relation to private investment.
The study reveals four major structural patterns.
First, public funding is the dominant financial source of NHMS funding worldwide.
Second, service revenue—derived from specialized data services, aviation meteorology, and private-sector partnerships—is a secondary component, with significant regional variation depending on regulatory frameworks and market maturity.
Third, the balance between operational expenditure and capital investment is skewed: a large share of budgets is consumed by operational and staffing costs, leaving limited resources for innovation, digital transformation, and expansion of service capabilities .
Fourth, the private sector is only present in countries with higher NHMS funding.

As conclusion, the study proposes some KPIs (key Performance Indicators) to measure the investment of countries into meteorological services, which can be used to compare the effectiveness of meteorological services and levels of optimal resourcing in each country. The study will further provide a basis to review the effectiveness of public policies to develop NHMS public, as well as private Weather services for the larger benefit of the economy and society.