PRIVATE PHILANTHROPISTS ARE MORE GENEROUS

The International Development Association (IDA) is the grant-making branch of the World Bank. IDA disbursements are small, in the order of USD 4-5 billion a year, for the entire group of the poorest countries. Putting IDA and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) together, the contribution of the World Bank to the external financing of developing countries is negative by some USD 1.2 billion. Net flows to sub-Saharan Africa are also negative from the IBRD. From the Bank as a whole they are positive but less than USD 2 billion, about 10% of what is needed. For a sample of the poorest developing countries, financing provided by the World Bank is in the order of USD 3 billion compared to private grants of some USD 10 billion.