About the Author

The World Bank is a vital source of financial and technical assistance to developing countries around the world. Not a bank in the ordinary sense, but a unique partnership to reduce poverty and support development. It comprises two institutions managed by 188 member countries: the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) and the International Development Association (IDA). The IBRD aims to reduce poverty in middle-income and creditworthy poorer countries, while IDA focuses exclusively on the world’s poorest countries. These institutions are part of a larger body known as the World Bank Group. Established in 1944, the World Bank is headquartered in Washington, D.C. and has more than 9,000 employees in more than 100 offices worldwide.