ADF Recipient Countries

Eligibility criteria

Country eligibility for the African Development Fund (ADF) is based on the International Development Association (IDA) eligibility criteria namely:

• Per capita income
• Lack of creditworthiness

The operational cut-off for eligibility in IDA fiscal year 2012-2013 is a 2011 GNI per capita of US $1,195 (for fiscal year 2011-2012: a 2010 GNI per capita of US $1,175), on the basis of the World Bank Atlas methodology. This operational cut-off is updated annually. Creditworthiness is the capacity of a country to borrow on capital markets and its ability to service its new debt at market terms such as the terms of loans provided by the African Development Bank (AfDB) or International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD).

ADF eligible countries

During the period 1974–2012, ADF cumulative approvals to the countries totaled UA 26.2 billion in the form of loans and grants. In 2012, the West and East Africa sub-regions, received 40.8 per cent and 29 per cent of the cumulative approvals, respectively, followed by Central Africa sub-region at 16 per cent. Southern Africa received 13.7 per cent. North Africa, which mainly consists of AfDB (i.e. middle-income) countries, received 0.5 per cent.