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Blog Post
December 19, 2022
One in five people on the planet live in countries at risk of debt distress. Yet the leaders and institutions that understand the challenge and could address it are instead virtue signaling and pointing the finger at others who share responsibly for a solution. We need a different approach—one that ...
BRIEFS
October 11, 2022
We are living in a time when many countries face heightened debt vulnerabilities. There is no international bankruptcy mechanism for countries that default on their external obligations. The objective of the international financial architecture—historically overseen by the IMF and its shareholders— ...
Blog Post
October 04, 2022
The World Bank/IMF Annual Meetings begin next week—against a backdrop of mounting economic crises and uncertainty. How can we reduce global debt? Rethink the MDB/IMF system to address pressing issues like pandemics, climate change, and food security? Support poor countries where they need the most a...
Blog Post
September 14, 2022
In March, the World Bank estimated that a dozen developing countries could default on their debt over the next 12 months. The warning signs are everywhere. Investors have pulled $50 billion from emerging-market bond funds this year, and the debt of nearly one-third of these countries is trading at d...
Blog Post
May 03, 2022
In a recent note, we asked whether IDA, the arm of the World Bank that provides concessional lending to the poorest countries, has the right approach for determining the balance between grants and loans which its recipients receive. We noted that IDA concessionality depends on the level of recipient...
Blog Post
April 22, 2022
Global debt has reached an unprecedented high, surpassing levels experienced in the infamous 1980s crisis. For debt-burdened countries, the COVID-19 pandemic has severely impacted their repayment capacity due to increased crisis spending. Low-income countries (LICs) are experiencing the brunt of thi...
Blog Post
April 20, 2022
In 2021, Ghana announced a plan to issue sovereign bonds of up to $2 billion, with proceeds due partially to fund a free secondary school program. Just months later, Ghana’s rising debt burden means this is no longer feasible. Can developing countries tap the social bond market in order to fund publ...