New data on global exposure patterns shows that five African countries rank among the world’s top 10 borrowers from the World Bank’s International Development Association (IDA), underscoring the continent’s significant role in concessional development finance.

According to the IDA’s Quarterly Financial Statements as of March 31, 2026 (unaudited), total outstanding exposure among the top 10 borrowing countries stands at $230.8 billion, with lending highly concentrated in a small group of emerging and developing economies.

African borrowers account for a substantial share of this exposure, with Nigeria, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Kenya, and Ghana collectively representing $67.8 billion—about 29.4% of the top 10 total. This also reflects roughly one-third of the broader concessional loan portfolio concentrated within the leading borrowing nations.

The IDA, the World Bank’s concessional financing arm, provides low-interest or interest-free loans and grants to the world’s poorest countries to support critical development priorities, including infrastructure, health, education, and poverty reduction. Its long repayment terms and highly concessional structure are designed to ease fiscal pressures in recipient economies.

Within Africa, Nigeria leads with $18.5 billion in outstanding exposure, followed by Ethiopia at $14.4 billion. Tanzania and Kenya hold $14.3 billion and $13.2 billion respectively, while Ghana accounts for $7.4 billion.

Collectively, these five countries highlight Africa’s dual position as both a key beneficiary of development finance and a region with substantial infrastructure and demographic financing needs.

Globally, the top borrower profile remains geographically diverse, with Bangladesh, Pakistan, India, Vietnam, and Ukraine also among the largest recipients of IDA exposure.

The concentration of lending among a limited number of countries underscores both the scale of development financing needs and the portfolio concentration risks within the global concessional lending system.