With the International Development Association (IDA), the World Bank has a separate funding window, which gives the world’s 76 poorest countries concessional loans and non-repayable grants. It provides support for health and education, infrastructure and agriculture, and economic and institutional development. IDA credits have a zero or very low interest charge and repayments are stretched over 25 to 40 years, including a 5 to 10 year grace period.
In addition to concessional loans and grants, IDA provides significant levels of debt relief through the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initiative and the Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative.
The resources of IDA are replenished every three years by donor countries. These replenishment negotiations are an opportunity to discuss the strategic and operational orientation of the fund. The last negotiations were concluded end 2019.
