The World Bank Group mobilised a record $112 billion in private capital for developing economies in fiscal year 2026, more than tripling the amount achieved four years earlier, as the multilateral lender stepped up efforts to bring private investors into emerging markets.
The record mobilisation, combined with the group’s own financing, pushed total financing support for developing economies to more than $200 billion in FY26, World Bank Group said in a statement on Thursday.
The latest figure compares with $35 billion in private capital mobilisation in FY22, highlighting a sharp expansion in the institution’s efforts to use public financing and guarantees to attract private investment.
The increase was broad-based across income groups and regions.
Private capital mobilisation for lower-middle-income countries rose to $37 billion in FY26 from $14 billion in FY22, while upper-middle-income countries saw a rise to $50 billion from $12 billion during the same period.
In low-income countries, where attracting private investment remains difficult, mobilisation remained steady at around $3 billion.
Across Africa, private capital mobilisation increased by nearly 150 per cent to $22 billion from about $9 billion in FY22.
The World Bank Group said the growth followed three years of internal reforms aimed at making its operations faster, simpler and more attractive to private investors.
The reforms included expanding guarantee instruments, increasing local-currency financing, addressing foreign-exchange risks, widening equity financing tools and improving coordination between its public and private sector arms.
The group issued more than $25 billion in guarantees during FY26, exceeding its $20 billion annual guarantee target set for 2030, four years ahead of schedule.
The growth was supported by the World Bank Group Guarantee Platform, launched in 2024 to provide investors and governments with a single access point for guarantee products across the institution.
“Three years ago, our shareholders and clients were clear: utilise World Bank Group financing and knowledge to mobilise more private capital and become a better partner to the private sector,” World Bank Group President Ajay Banga said.
“We changed how we work to do that — faster, simpler and as one World Bank Group. The result is $112 billion mobilised this year, more than three times where we started.”
The World Bank said the focus now is ensuring the capital reaches sectors capable of generating jobs and long-term economic opportunities.
Developing economies are expected to see 1.2 billion young people enter the workforce over the next 10 to 15 years, while only about 420 million jobs are projected to be created, according to the lender.
The private sector currently generates nine out of 10 jobs in developing economies, making private investment a central component of the World Bank’s employment strategy.
The lender said its job-focused investment approach targets five major sectors — infrastructure and energy, agribusiness, healthcare, tourism and value-added manufacturing.
In FY26, about 55 per cent of total financing from the World Bank Group’s own resources and mobilised capital went into these job-intensive sectors.
The institution said it is also working to expand the pool of investors through its originate-to-distribute model, which aims to package investments and connect developing-country opportunities with global institutional investors.
“The ambition is straightforward: mobilise more capital, from more sources, and put more of it to work creating jobs and economic opportunity,” the World Bank said.
