What is IDA?
The International Development Association (IDA) is one of the largest and most effective platforms for fighting extreme poverty in the world’s poorest countries.
- IDA is the single largest source of concessional finance for the poorest countries in the world. There are currently 76 such countries, home to about two thirds of the extreme poor—almost 500 million people. IDA19 replenishment will support 74 countries, as two countries are expected to graduate at the end of this fiscal year.
- IDA focuses on providing development financing and cross-sector support that responds to complex global challenges and helps countries improve their development outcomes, making it a valued partner for the global community.
How is IDA funded?
IDA partners and representatives from borrower countries come together every three years to replenish IDA funds and review IDA’s policies.
- Since its founding in 1960, IDA has had 18 regular replenishments.
- A total $75 billion was made available for the current three-year cycle, known as IDA18 (covering fiscal years 2018-2020). Of that total, $27 billion comes from grant contributions by IDA partners and the remainder from IDA’s internal resources and funds raised through capital markets.
What is IDA’s impact?
The IDA program has delivered strong progress on its commitments and supported development results where they are most needed.
- In the first two years of IDA18, IDA committed more than $45 billion, $29.6 billion to Africa. We are on track to deliver $45 billion to Africa by the end of IDA18. IDA also committed $12.9 billion to fragile and conflict-affected situations over the past two years (more than double compared to the same period in IDA17).
- During this time, IDA has helped millions of poor people around the world, including 19.2 million people who now have access to improved sanitation and 24.1 million people who now have access to improved water sources. IDA has also immunized 73.6 million children; offered social safety net programs to 35 million people; and provided essential health, nutrition, and populations services to more than 172 million people.
Why does IDA19 matter?
IDA19 offers comprehensive support to development and responds to the evolving demands of IDA’s country partners. Key features in IDA19 include a sharper focus on:
- Sustainable and inclusive economic transformation, including private sector investment, and skills development for employment and job creation.
- An incentive-based, fair approach to help countries enhance debt sustainability.
- Scaled up support for regional integration, such as investments in infrastructure for greater regional connectivity, trade facilitation, and digital economy.
- Increased and more tailored support to address the drivers of fragility, conflict, and violence, particularly in the Sahel, Lake Chad region, and the Horn of Africa.
- Crisis preparedness, resilience building, and earlier responses to slow-onset crises such as disease outbreaks and food insecurity.
IDA’s Regional Development Support
Sub-Saharan Africa
IDA is active in 38 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. Over the past decade, IDA provided $99.3 billion in financing for more than 1,100 projects for countries there, including $14.2 billion in fiscal year 2019. In Central African Republic, 4.6 million women benefited through better utilization of maternal and child health services from 2012–18. From 2014–18, in Burkina Faso, 27,994 people accessed new or improved electricity after installation of more efficient equipment, while 16,498 solar lanterns were installed in public schools. In Ethiopia, 448,885 people benefited from a safety net project that generated 2.2 million days of work from 2016–18.
East Asia and Pacific
IDA is active in 17 countries in East Asia and the Pacific. Over the past decade, IDA provided $17.9 billion in financing for nearly 300 projects for countries there, including nearly $1.3 billion in fiscal year 2019. In 2018, in Cambodia, 13.2 million people received essential health, nutrition, and population services, of whom 7.8 million were women. From 2014–18, in Vanuatu, 30,198 people living in remote areas were provided with new or improved electricity service through off-grid or mini-grid renewable sources. Mongolia will graduate from IDA assistance at end-June 2020 but will have access to transitional support.
Europe and Central Asia
IDA is active in 10 countries in Europe and Central Asia. Over the past decade, IDA provided $6.2 billion in financing for more than 170 projects for countries there, including $600 million in fiscal year 2019. In Kosovo, 4,358 health personnel were trained on a newly developed health insurance program from 2014-18, which benefitted 349,711 patients with improved financial protections and quality of care for women and children. In Tajikistan, 1.4 million people benefited from an improved irrigation and drainage services project from 2013–18. Moldova will graduate from IDA assistance at end-June 2020 but will have access to transitional support.
Latin America and the Caribbean
IDA is active in 10 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. Over the past decade, IDA provided $3.9 billion in financing for more than 130 projects for countries there, including $400 million in fiscal year 2019. In Haiti, 437,000 children under two years old were fully immunized from 2015-17 and the medical cold chain for the entire southern region in the wake of Hurricane Matthew was reestablished. In Dominica, 26,098 people were provided with resilient infrastructure to reduce vulnerability to natural hazards and climate change impacts from 2014-19.
Middle East and North Africa
IDA is active in 4 countries in the Middle East and North Africa region (Djibouti, Jordan, Lebanon, and Yemen). Over the past decade, IDA provided $3.1 billion in financing for 60 projects for countries in the region, including $600 million in fiscal year 2019 as support to Yemen was stepped up. In Djibouti, 1.9 million people benefitted from a project to deliver essential health services from 2014–18. In Yemen, IDA helped train nearly 12,000 health personnel and immunize 6.9 million children (five million of them under 5 years old). Through an emergency program, IDA also helped ensure around 9 million vulnerable Yemenis have access to food and other basic necessities. In Lebanon and Jordan, IDA is helping to support Syrian refugees – and the communities that are hosting them.
South Asia
IDA is active in 8 countries in South Asia. Over the past decade, IDA provided $54.2 billion in financing for more than 360 projects for countries there, including $4.8 billion in fiscal year 2019. In Nepal, 6.8 million people benefited from a community-driven project that improved water supply and sanitation, rural roads, irrigation, power, health, and education from 2012 to 2018. In 2018, 11.4 million women in Pakistan’s Punjab province received essential health, nutrition, and population services, up from 3.2 million in 2015.
For a list of eligible IDA countries: https://ida.worldbank.org/about/borrowing-countries
For more information on IDA’s results: https://ida.worldbank.org/results