As the "Hamburg Declaration" makes clear, adult education (AE) is a key component of development strategies that seek to ensure the long-term well-being of nations. Yet, with few exceptions most countries systematically underinvest in AE. Of course, it is no easy task to achieve adequate investment levels that reflect an appropriate balance between costs and benefits, account for market failures, and distribute funds in ways consistent with human welfare. Apart from political will, other major obstacles involve the lack of comparable data and the difficulty in measuring the benefits of AE. In this chapter, the author assesses the state of investment in AE by summarizing worldwide approaches to financing AE, reviewing developments in the period between the 1997 and 2009 CONFINTEA conferences. He outlines some key problems and constraints and then suggest some ways educators might improve matters. (Contains 1 table.)