Ida borrowers

Eligibility for IDA support depends first and foremost on a country’s

relative poverty, defined as GNI per capita below an established

threshold and updated annually (in fiscal year 2009: US$1,095).

IDA also supports some countries, including several small island

economies, which are above the operational cutoff but lack the

creditworthiness needed to borrow from IBRD.

Some countries, such as India, Indonesia and Pakistan, are IDA-eligible

based on per capita income levels, but are also creditworthy for some

IBRD borrowing. They are referred to as “blend” countries.

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Seventy-eight countries are currently eligible to receive IDA resources.

Together, these countries are home to 2.5 billion people, half of the

total population of the developing world. An estimated 1.5 billion

people there survive on incomes of US$2 or less a day.

FY08 Top Ten IDA Borrowers* IDA LENDING

New IDA Lending by Region:

($million)

Sub-Saharan Africa

50%

Vietnam

India

Bangladesh

1,193

837

753

South Asia

East Asia/Pacific

Europe/Central Asia

25%

16%

4%

Ethiopia

Nigeria

Cote d'Ivoire

Tanzania

711

572

555

499

Latin America/Caribbean 3%

Middle East/North Africa 2%

IDA Lending by Sector:

Liberia

Ghana

Nepal

478

387

380

Infrastructure

Public Admin. and Law

Social sector

39%

26%

19%

(*) Including regional projects

Agriculture

Industry

9%

8%

(Part II)

IDA-financed operations address primary education, basic health

services, clean water and sanitation, environmental safeguards,

business climate improvements, infrastructure and institutional

reforms. These projects pave the way toward economic growth, job

creation, higher incomes and better living conditions.

IDA emphasizes broad-based growth, including:

- Sound economic policies, rural development, private business and

sustainable environmental practices

- Investment in people, in education and health, especially in the

struggle against HIV/AIDS, malaria and TB

- Expansion of borrower capacity to provide basic services and ensure

accountability for public resources

- Recovery from civil strife, armed conflict and natural disaster

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- Promotion of trade and regional integration

IDA carries out analytical studies to build the knowledge base that

allows intelligent design of policies to reduce poverty. IDA advises

governments on ways to broaden the base of economic growth and

protect the poor from economic shocks.

IDA also coordinates donor assistance to provide relief for poor

countries that cannot manage their debt-service burden. IDA has

developed a system for allocating grants based on countries’ risk of

debt distress, designed to help countries ensure debt sustainability.