Skip to main content

People at GIZ: in figures

Reliability and curiosity underpin the way our staff approach their work. Together with commissioning parties and partners, our committed employees use their expertise to make lasting improvements to the lives of people in around 120 countries – even in places where conditions are difficult.

As at 31 December 2019, GIZ had 22,199 staff around the globe (2018: 20,726). This number both confirms growing demand for our services in the field of international cooperation and demonstrates that we are an attractive employer. Altogether our staff numbers increased by 7 per cent.

Most of our workforce – over 80 per cent – is based abroad. In addition to our employees in Germany, seconded staff and national staff, 556 people had positions with GIZ as seconded development workers and 777 people worked as integrated experts and returning experts in 2019.

Jobs and careers
GIZ job portal
You will find an overview of our remuneration policy in the 2018 Integrated Company Report.​​​​​​​

Graphic: GIZ: Employees

Overview: how we work effectively outside Germany

Personnel in the regions
As at: 31 December 2019 (2018)
Number

 Seconded
experts
National
staff
Development
workers1
Integrated
experts2
Returning
experts2
 2018201920182019201820192018201920182019
Sub-Saharan Africa1,0211,0955,9116,5413043038470192185
Asia/Pacific3933882,3392,3131381255951169175
Europe, Caucasus, Central Asia4303923,1143,1581012100786865
Latin America2061881,2191,204756657466666
Mediterranean Region and Middle East3704151,5761,856505017172324
Industrialised countries (Europe, US)42583748000000
Total2,4622,53614,19615,120577556317262518515
1 110 of the 556 development workers were deployed as Civil Peace Service experts.
 2 Integrated experts are placed with employers in cooperation countries by the Centre for International Migration and Development (CIM), which is run jointly by GIZ and the German Federal Employment Agency. The local employers pay them a salary at the going rate in the area, to which CIM adds a salary subsidy. Returning experts also receive a salary subsidy from CIM, as well as advisory and other support services.
Graphic: GIZ: Development workers

Development workers

The German Development Workers Act (EhfG) came into force more than 50 years ago on 18 June 1969. It provides the legal footing for GIZ’s Development Service to assign more than 300 experts as development workers or as Civil Peace Service experts around the globe each year. Working in direct partnership with local people for a limited amount of time, development workers provide support with their professionalism, experience and dedication.

GIZ Development Service
Worldwide involvement with GIZ

National staff

The vast majority of the workforce outside Germany are staff members with an employment contract under national employment law. They account for 70 per cent of the workforce and perform a wide variety of duties and management roles. Global standards for human resources (HR) work with and for national staff have been modified, improved and revamped in areas such as career paths, HR development, HR planning and digital HR processes to further strengthen the deployment of staff in partner countries.

Graphic: GIZ: Integrated Experts

Integrated experts

Integrated experts are managers and professionals from Germany and other EU countries who put their skills to use in key positions in developing countries and emerging economies. Integrated experts work directly for an employer in their country of assignment on a local employment contract and are fully integrated into local structures – hence the name integrated experts. Once the placement process has been completed, they are paid a salary at the going rate in the area, which GIZ tops up with a salary subsidy from the Centre for International Migration and Development (CIM).

What does the role of an integrated expert look like in practice?

Photo: GIZ: Kariem El-Ali, consultant for municipal digitisation
© SKEW

Find out about Kariem El-Ali’s assignment in Jakarta.

Returning experts

Returning experts are managers and young professionals from developing countries and emerging economies who have acquired professional qualifications in Germany. CIM helps them to find a suitable position that fosters sustainable development in their country of origin. It also offers individual advisory services to help plan their return and future career and assists with the job search in their home country.

CIM international placements

1110 of the 556 development workers are deployed as Civil Peace Service experts.
2Integrated experts are placed with employers in cooperation countries by the Centre for International Migration and Development (CIM), which is run jointly by GIZ and the German Federal Employment Agency. The local employers pay them a salary at the going rate in the area, to which CIM adds a salary subsidy. Returning experts also receive a salary subsidy from CIM, as well as advisory and other support services.

Accompanying partners abroad

Our staff are often not the only people affected by an assignment outside Germany. Regulations on accompanying partners in countries of assignment can be restrictive, especially when it comes to them securing gainful employment. To this end, GIZ will offer family members even better information and support in the future and is exploring additional measures, such as advice on tax and social security and lump sums for training.

Women in the workforce

As at: 31 December 2019 (2018)

Percentage

Graphic: GIZ: Share of women

Women in the workforce

As at: 31 December 2019 (2018)

Percentage

          
WORKFORCE AS A WHOLE
GermanyAbroadTotal1National staffTotal2
2018201920182019201820192018201920182019
65.265.544.446.957.358.843.548.8
 
MANAGEMENT BOARDMANAGERIAL POSITIONS1  
 GermanyAbroadTotal  
20182019201820192018201920182019  
50.233.344.648.636.638.739.842.9  
1 Not including national staff, including German employment contracts
2 Including national staff, seconded staff, Germany-based staff and project staff
  

Nationalities of our staff

 

Graphic: GIZ: Nationalities

Breakdown by age (years)

As at: 31 December 2019 (2018)

Percentage
 

Graphic: GIZ: Age structure          

Graphic: GIZ: SDG 5 Gender equality
Graphic: GIZ: SDG 8 Decent work and economic growth
Graphic: GIZ: SDG 10 Reduced inequalities

GRI standard 102-7, 102-08, 102-35, 102-41, 401 (401-1), 405-1; UNGC 3, 6; The Code 1, 8, 14, 16