What does the World Bank do with the funds that it raises in the financial markets?
The World Bank is the most established development finance institution in the world. Funds raised by the World Bank in the financial markets are used for its general operations, which include lending to developing and emerging economies in order to fight poverty and to help people help themselves. More specifically, World Bank funding is used for investing in people, protecting the environment, stimulating private sector growth, strengthening government capacity, promoting economic reform, and attracting co-financing from other donors. After its establishment in 1944 amidst the ruins of World War II, the World Bank made its first loans to European countries for post-war reconstruction. In the 1950s and 1960s, its lending focus shifted to other developing parts of the world, such as Japan. Today, the World Bank is a major player in building the markets of tomorrow in Africa, Asia, Latin America, Eastern Europe, and the former Soviet Union. As the single largest investor in human develop
