OECD

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) is an intergovernmental organisation with 38 member countries. It was started in 1961 to help improve economic progress and support world trade. The OECD brings together countries that believe in democracy and market economy to share ideas, solve common problems, and create better policies.

Most of the countries in the OECD are well-developed, with strong economies and high living standards. As of 2026, the countries in the OECD are home to over 1.38 billion people. They have a long average life expectancy of 80 years and are a big part of the world's economy.

The OECD is based in Paris, France, at a place called the Château de la Muette. The group gets money from its member countries and is known for publishing important economic information and rankings each year. It also works closely with the United Nations as an official observer.

History

Organisation for European Economic Co-operation

The OECD started as the Organisation for European Economic Co-operation (OEEC), established in April 1948 to help rebuild Europe after World War II with aid from the Marshall Plan. At first, only Western European countries were members, and their main job was to manage this aid. After the Marshall Plan ended in 1952, the OEEC began focusing more on general economic issues.

Founding

The Convention on the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development was signed on 14 December 1960, and the OECD officially began in September 1961. It included the original European members of the OEEC, plus the United States and Canada. Japan joined in 1964, followed by Finland, Australia, and New Zealand in the following years.

Enlargement to Central Europe

After big changes in 1989, the OECD helped countries in Central Europe change their economies. This led to Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, South Korea, and Mexico joining between 1996 and 2000.

Reform and further enlargement

East Germany joined in 1990 after reuniting with West Germany. Many other countries have joined or are working toward joining the OECD over the years. In recent years, the OECD has been working with countries like Brazil, Argentina, and Indonesia to help them join.

Objectives and issues

The OECD works on important economic topics to help countries work together. It checks how well economies are doing and shares ideas about good policies.

The OECD helps countries make rules for taxes, especially for big companies that work in many places. It makes guidelines to help decide how taxes should be shared between countries. In 2021, many countries agreed that big companies should pay at least 15% tax no matter where they are based. This helps make sure big companies pay their fair share of taxes. The OECD also gives advice to companies on how to act responsibly in different countries.

Publications

The OECD makes many books, reports, and statistics about economics and policies. You can find their publications from 1998 onward on OECD.org. Their library has items from 1947, including records from older groups that became the OECD.

The OECD publishes about 600 books and over 400 papers each year on many topics. Most books are in English and French. Some important books are the OECD Economic Outlook, which looks at global economic trends twice a year, and the Main Economic Indicators, which shares statistics each month.

The OECD also offers statistics on many subjects. In 2014, they began sharing these online through the OECD Data Portal, where you can make your own charts using their data. Their statistics come in many formats, including interactive charts and downloadable files.

The OECD creates working papers on topics like economics and education, and they have reference works such as the OECD Guidelines for the Testing of Chemicals and reports on environmental issues like climate change.

Structure

The OECD has three main parts. First, there are the member countries. Each country sends leaders to help guide the OECD.

Second, there are many groups called committees. These groups focus on different subjects like education, trade, and science. Experts from the countries work together in these groups.

Third, there is the OECD Secretariat. This group helps with planning and organizing. It has workers who collect information and study important topics like the economy and the environment.

The OECD holds many meetings. One big meeting happens every year with leaders from each country. There are also meetings about special topics like labour or the environment. These meetings help leaders share ideas and solve problems together.

The Secretariat has many parts that focus on different areas, like education, jobs, and science. The leader of the Secretariat is called the Secretary-General. This person is chosen by all the member countries working together.

There are also many special groups within the OECD that focus on topics like development, trade, and energy. These groups help countries work together on important issues.

Voting

The OECD makes its decisions by voting. All voting members must agree for a decision to happen. Each member country gets one vote. Sometimes, a country might not want to stop a decision but just show that they don’t agree. They can choose not to vote instead. Out of the 38 member countries, 22 are also part of the European Union.

Member countries

As of May 2021, there are 38 members of the OECD.

Dependent territories

Dependent territories of member states are not members by themselves. They can join as part of their sovereign state. As of January 2021, the Dutch Caribbean and the British territories of Guernsey, Jersey, the Isle of Man, Gibraltar, and Bermuda are included in the OECD memberships of the Netherlands and the U.K.. Other dependent territories of OECD member states are not members of the OECD.

Participating partners

The European Commission works with the OECD along with EU member states. The OECD calls Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, and South Africa Key Partners. These countries join in policy talks in OECD groups and take part in regular OECD surveys.

Negotiating membership

• Argentina since 2022
• Brazil since 2022
• Bulgaria since 2022
• Croatia since 2022
• Indonesia since 2024
• Peru since 2022
• Romania since 2022
• Thailand since 2024

Applicants

• Malta applied in 2007
• Ukraine since 2022

Expressed interest

• Kazakhstan
• Malaysia
• Vietnam
• Dominican Republic

Former members

The Free Territory of Trieste (Zone A) was a member of the OEEC until 1954. It then merged with Italy and stopped existing as a separate place.

Budget

The OECD has a budget that lasts two years, chosen by its member countries. From 2023 to 2024, the OECD earned more than €900 million each year.

In 2024, the biggest source of money for the OECD came from its members, totaling about €229.9 million. This money depends on how many members there are and the size of each country’s economy.

Permanent missions accredited to the OECD

Many countries have special offices called permanent missions at the OECD. These offices help each country share ideas and work together on important economic issues.

The following countries have permanent missions to the OECD:

• Permanent Mission of Austria to the OECD
• Permanent Mission of Canada to the OECD
• Permanent Mission of Chile to the OECD
• Permanent Mission of the Czech Republic to the OECD
• Permanent Mission of Finland to the OECD
• Permanent Mission of France to the OECD
• Permanent Mission of Germany to the OECD
• Permanent Mission of Italy to the OECD
• Permanent Mission of Japan to the OECD
• Permanent Mission of Mexico to the OECD
• Permanent Mission of Poland to the OECD
• Permanent Mission of Portugal to the OECD
• Permanent Mission of Slovak Republic to the OECD
• Permanent Mission of South Korea to the OECD
• Permanent Mission of Switzerland to the OECD
• Permanent Mission of Turkey to the OECD
• Permanent Mission of the United States to the OECD