Is IDA Equipped for Another Debt Shock?
At the start of the COVID pandemic, we examined how major deteriorations in low-income country (LIC) debt levels could influence the grant funding requirements for IDA, the World Bank’s low-income-country lending arm. IDA provides a mix of concessional credits (which need to be repaid) and grants (which do not) to eligible countries, depending on the country’s economic situation. That means that as country debt situations worsen, IDA’s mix automatically shifts to a higher proportion of grants, which are more costly to provide.