World Bank Records Highest-Ever Private Capital Mobilisation of $112bn in FY2026
By Patience Ikpeme
The World Bank Group has recorded its highest-ever mobilisation of private capital in one financial year, bringing in $112 billion in the 2026 financial year and issuing a record number of guarantees to investors. This achievement marks a major milestone that shareholders and client countries have been pushing for over the years, which is to see more private money working side by side with the Bank’s own funding and expertise in developing countries.
According to the report, private capital mobilised by the World Bank Group has more than tripled in the last four years, moving from $35 billion in the 2022 financial year to $112 billion in 2026. When this is added to the World Bank Group’s own financing, total money made available to developing economies in the 2026 financial year rose to well over $200 billion.
The report noted that the growth cut across different categories of countries. In lower-middle-income countries, private capital mobilised rose from $14 billion in 2022 to $37 billion in 2026, nearly three times the earlier figure. In upper-middle-income countries, it grew from $12 billion to $50 billion, more than four times the previous amount. For low-income countries, which are usually the hardest places to attract private investment, the amount was maintained at about $3 billion. Across Africa, private capital mobilised increased from about $9 billion to $22 billion, representing a rise of almost 150 per cent.
The World Bank explained that this progress came from three years of changes it made to work better with the private sector. These changes include becoming faster and simpler in its operations, bringing its public and private sector arms closer together, and creating more tools for investors to use.
The report stated that the Bank brought all its operations together in each country, with one single contact person handling both public and private sector work, and began building specific plans for each country based on its needs and development goals.
It further explained that the Private Sector Investment Lab played a key role in this success by helping to identify the real problems standing in the way of investment in developing countries and drawing up a plan to solve them. The World Bank Group has been working on this plan across the entire institution, improving business and regulatory conditions, increasing guarantees and local currency financing, tackling foreign exchange problems, expanding equity tools and creating new ways for big investors to take part on a larger scale.
According to the statement, the Bank issued more than $25 billion in guarantees during the year, surpassing its target of $20 billion in yearly guarantees, a target it had planned to reach only by 2030. This means the Bank met the target four years ahead of schedule. This success was driven mainly by the World Bank Group Guarantee Platform, which was created in 2024 to give clients and investors one simple way to access guarantee products from across the institution.
Speaking on the achievement, the World Bank Group President, Mr Ajay Banga, said, “Three years ago, our shareholders and clients were clear: utilize World Bank Group financing and knowledge to mobilize more private capital and become a better partner to the private sector. We changed how we work to do that—faster, simpler, and as one World Bank Group.” He added, “The result is $112 billion mobilized this year, more than three times where we started. But the number only matters if the capital goes where it can create opportunity and jobs. That is the work ahead: keep removing barriers, keep expanding the pool of investors, and keep driving more capital into developing economies.”
The report also pointed out that job creation remains the World Bank Group’s main priority. It disclosed that in developing countries, about 1.2 billion young people will reach working age in the next 10 to 15 years, while only around 420 million jobs are expected to be created within that same period. The report added that the private sector is responsible for creating nine out of every 10 jobs in these economies.
The World Bank Group’s job creation plan is built around three main areas that work together: investing in human capital and physical infrastructure, creating business-friendly regulatory environments, and helping private businesses to grow. The plan focuses on five sectors seen as rich in job opportunities, namely infrastructure and energy, agribusiness, healthcare, tourism, and value-added manufacturing.
The report showed that in the 2026 financial year, 55 per cent of total financing, made up of the Bank’s own funds and money mobilised from private investors, went into these job-rich sectors. This helped convert stronger economic foundations and improved policies into real private investment, business expansion and job creation. According to the report, this capital is not only concentrated in easy-to-reach markets but is also getting to lower-income economies, where local and regional investors are increasingly joining global investors to fund businesses and create jobs.
The World Bank Group said it is now working to expand the number of investors who can take part in this process. Through what it calls its originate-to-distribute approach, the Group is developing new ways to package and share investment opportunities with big institutional investors on a larger scale, thereby connecting more of the world’s long-term investment funds with opportunities available in developing countries.
The report concluded that the World Bank Group’s goal remains simple, to mobilise more capital from more sources and channel it into creating jobs and economic opportunities for people in developing countries.
