The World Bank Group attracted a record $112 billion in private capital for developing economies during its 2026 fiscal year, marking a sharp increase from the $35 billion mobilised four years earlier.
The institution disclosed the figure as part of its latest assessment of efforts to bring more private investment into developing countries, where governments face significant financing needs for infrastructure, healthcare, education, energy and other areas of economic development.
The $112 billion mobilised in the year ended June 2026 was more than three times the amount recorded in fiscal 2022. The World Bank Group said the increase reflected changes introduced to make its operations faster, simplify engagement with investors and strengthen coordination between its public and private-sector institutions.
Private capital mobilisation also increased across several income groups. Lower-middle-income countries received about $37 billion in mobilised private capital in fiscal 2026, compared with $14 billion in 2022, while upper-middle-income countries recorded an increase from $12 billion to $50 billion over the same period.
For low-income countries, however, mobilisation remained at about $3 billion, highlighting the continuing difficulty of attracting private investment to economies where investors face greater perceived risks.
Africa recorded a substantial increase, with private capital mobilisation reaching approximately $22 billion in fiscal 2026, compared with about $9 billion in fiscal 2022.
World Bank Group President Ajay Banga said the institution had changed the way it worked in response to requests from shareholders and client countries to mobilise more private capital. He said the latest figure was significant only if the money reached areas capable of creating jobs and economic opportunities.
The World Bank attributed part of the growth to the increased use of guarantees, local-currency financing and other instruments designed to reduce investment risks. The institution issued more than $25 billion in guarantees during the fiscal year, exceeding its annual target for 2030 four years ahead of schedule.
The World Bank Group Guarantee Platform, established in 2024, has also been used to provide investors and client countries with a single access point for guarantee products across the institution.
The World Bank said it had also introduced integrated country strategies and single points of contact for its public and private-sector operations in individual countries. The changes are intended to make it easier for governments and investors to navigate the institution's financing structures.
The push for greater private investment comes as developing economies face a large financing gap and governments have limited resources to meet growing demands for infrastructure, employment and social services.
The World Bank said the private sector already accounts for nine out of every 10 jobs in developing economies, making increased private investment an important part of efforts to expand employment and economic activity.
The institution is now seeking to mobilise even more private capital by developing investment structures that can attract pension funds, insurers, asset managers and other large institutional investors.
Banga said the World Bank was working towards mobilising more than $200 billion in private capital within the next two to three years, although achieving that goal will depend on continued improvements in investment conditions and the ability to address regulatory, currency and political risks in developing economies.
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