The flag of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development is the banner of the policy forum and statistical agency for the world's mostly high-income democracies. Founded in 1961 as successor to the Marshall Plan's OEEC, the OECD's visual identity has been refreshed several times — most recently in 2020.
The design
The Flag of the OECD is a national emblem rendered in the colours and proportions defined by the country’s flag law. Its official aspect ratio is 2:3, the height-to-length ratio that fixes how the flag should be cut and flown. The colour scheme uses blue, white, with each shade specified to particular Pantone or RGB values for official reproduction.
Colour palette
| Colour | Name | Common symbolism |
|---|---|---|
| Blue | blue | Frequently symbolises sky, sea, freedom, vigilance or perseverance. |
| White | white | Commonly represents peace, purity, honesty or snow-capped landscapes. |
| Source | Official flag law | The country’s own statute or constitutional appendix specifies exact shades and proportions. |
Symbolism & heraldry
A blue field bearing the OECD emblem — a stylised white wordmark. The blue tone matches the broader convention of post-war international institutions and signals the OECD's alignment with the Bretton Woods family of organisations.
Heraldic elements on the Flag of the OECD — bands, charges, emblems or stars — each carry meaning agreed at the moment of the flag’s adoption. Re-readings happen across generations: a colour or a symbol that began with one meaning often picks up further layers as the country’s history unfolds.
Adoption & history
The current flag was adopted in 1961. It is credited to OECD Secretariat (Paris). Earlier banners flown by reflected the politics of their day; each redesign typically marked a moment of independence, regime change or constitutional reform. The current flag was chosen, debated and codified through the country’s official channels and is now protected by flag law.
Etiquette & protocol
The Flag of the OECD should be flown with respect: never allowed to touch the ground, never used as drapery for ceremonies it was not made for, and lowered or removed at sundown unless illuminated. When flown alongside other national flags, it takes precedence on home soil and is hoisted first and lowered last. On days of national mourning, the flag is flown at half-mast in line with directives from the head of state. These conventions are common to most nations and are usually written into the flag’s founding statute.
Specifications
| Field | Value | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Country | — | |
| Continent | International | — |
| ISO alpha-2 | 2-letter code | |
| ISO alpha-3 | 3-letter code | |
| Adopted | 1961 | year of current design |
| Proportion | 2:3 | height : length |
| Colours | blue, white | — |
| Designer | OECD Secretariat (Paris) | — |
| Emoji | Unicode codepoint sequence |
Did you know?
The OECD does not have a traditional flag in the heraldic sense — most uses, even on its Paris headquarters building, are of the wordmark logo on a blue field rather than a heraldic banner.
About the organisation
OECD was founded in 1961. Its headquarters are in Paris, France.
Member states
OECD has 38 member states. Membership current as of 2024-01.
- Australia
- Austria
- Belgium
- Canada
- Chile
- Colombia
- Costa Rica
- Czechia
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Greece
- Hungary
- Iceland
- Ireland
- Israel
- Italy
- Japan
- Latvia
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Mexico
- Netherlands
- New Zealand
- Norway
- Poland
- Portugal
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- South Korea
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Turkey
- United Kingdom
- United States
