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World Bank private capital mobilisation hits a record $112bn
World Bank private capital mobilisation reached a record $112bn as the institution increased efforts to bring private investment into development and infrastructure projects.
News brief: The World Bank mobilised a record $112 billion in private capital during the financial year ending June 2026, up from $69 billion the previous year. Together with $123 billion of its own resources, the Bank committed $235 billion to development projects, with about 40% of its lending going towards infrastructure.
Why it matters: Infrastructure projects in emerging markets often struggle not simply because projects are unavailable, but because investors perceive them as too risky, complex or slow to develop. The World Bank is therefore increasingly trying to act as a capital mobiliser, using standardised financing structures, regulatory reforms and risk reduction to bring institutional and private investors into projects that might otherwise struggle to reach financial close.
Key takeaway: The infrastructure financing model is shifting from development banks funding projects directly to development institutions helping crowd private capital into them. For African infrastructure markets, that could expand the pool of available capital, but project preparation, bankability, regulation and risk allocation will increasingly determine which projects actually attract investment.
