Sector/Thematic Studies
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Economic and Sectoral Work are original analytic reports authored by the World Bank and intended to influence programs and policy in client countries. They convey Bank-endorsed recommendations and represent the formal opinion of a World Bank unit on the topic. This set includes the sectoral and thematic studies which are not Core Diagnostic Studies. Other analytic and advisory activities (AAA), including technical assistance studies, are included in these sectoral/thematic collections.
Sub-collections of this Collection
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Country Gender Assessment -
Recent Economic Development in Infrastructure -
Emerging Technologies -
Energy Study -
Energy-Environment Review -
Equitable Growth, Finance & Institutions Insight -
Debt and Creditworthiness Study -
General Economy, Macroeconomics, and Growth Study -
Legal and Judicial Sector Assessment -
Gender Innovation Lab Federation Causal Evidence Series
Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa, home to more than 1 billion people, half of whom will be under 25 years old by 2050, is a diverse ...
Items in this collection
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Publication
Mali - Joint World Bank-IMF Debt Sustainability Analysis
(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2019-09)Mali remains at moderate risk of external debt distress. This rating is unchanged from the previous analysis and consistent with the May 2018 Staff Report (IMF Country Report/18/141). All the projected external debt burden indicators remain below their thresholds under the baseline. However, the ratio of the external debt service to exports exceeds its threshold in the case of an extreme shock to exports under a customized scenario that incorporates 2 percentage points of GDP larger fiscal deficits over 2019 to 2023 than the baseline.1 The baseline scenario assumes improved fiscal policies and achievement of the WAEMU fiscal deficit convergence criteria by 2019. As illustrated in the customized scenario, continued shortfall in domestic revenue mobilization and a deterioration in security conditions will result in a weakened fiscal position and increase the likelihood of debt distress. Mali’s main challenge continues to be ensuring macroeconomic stability while protecting social and investment spending and providing for growing security spending and large development needs. To maintain debt at moderate risk rating, it is essential that the authorities continue their efforts to mobilize domestic revenue and implement reforms. Debt management capacity should be strengthened while deepening structural reforms to diversify the exports base. -
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Union of Comoros - Joint World Bank-IMF Debt Sustainability Analysis
(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2019-08)The Union of Comoros remains at moderate risk of external debt distress, but its space to absorb shocks is “limited.” All debt burden indicators exhibit a continual upward trend, with the PV of debt-to-export approaching its threshold at the end of the assessment horizon (2029) under the baseline scenario. (Thresholds reflect “medium” capacity to carry debt). The reduced space to absorb shocks reflects the taking on of a large new loan, a downward revision of projected exports in line with lower export prices and impacts of Cyclone Kenneth on debt accumulation. Shock scenarios indicate vulnerability to a deterioration of export performance, natural disasters, and exchange rate instability. Comoros’ overall risk of debt distress remains moderate, given that domestic debt is expected to remain minimal. The authorities need to strengthen policies to improve macroeconomic performance including by making faster progress on domestic resource mobilization and broadening the export base. The authorities should proceed cautiously on taking up any new debt and may wish to largely avoid new non-concessional debt. -
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Somalia - Joint World Bank-IMF Debt Sustainability Analysis
(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2019-08)This report presents the first official debt sustainability analysis undertaken for Somalia. Based on both external and public debt indicators, Somalia is in debt distress. Total public debt is very high, at dollar 4.8 billion, or 101 percent of GDP at end-2018—nearly all of which is external (100 percent of GDP). The finding that Somalia is in debt distress reflects the high external arrears on debt relative to GDP, which now represent 96 percent of the debt stock. While Somalia has no capacity to access new financing, its debt burden will continue to increase as late interest on arrears continues to accumulate. Under broadly steady state assumptions, Somalia’s total public debt is expected to increase to around 128 percent of GDP by 2039. Key risks that affect the outlook include external financing, security, and climate, further highlighting the unsustainability of Somalia’s current debt burden. Consequently, in the absence of debt relief, Somalia will remain in debt distress. -
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Guinea - Joint World Bank-IMF Debt Sustainability Analysis Update: August 2019
(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2019-08)Guinea is at moderate risk of external debt distress with some space to absorb shocks. All external debt burden indicators under the baseline scenario lie below their policy-dependent thresholds. Stress tests suggest that debt vulnerabilities will increase if adverse shocks materialize. Under the most extreme stress tests, all solvency and liquidity indicators breach their thresholds for prolonged periods. The overall risk of public debt distress is also assessed to be moderate, with the application of judgement regarding a brief and marginal breach for the PV of total public debt to GDP ratio over 2019-20, reflecting the one-off impact of the recapitalization of the central bank. Guinea’s external and public debt position at end-2018 improved compared to the December 2018 DSA, owing to upward revisions of growth estimates in 2016–17, lower-than-anticipated external loan disbursements in 2018, and a stable exchange rate in 2018. A prudent external borrowing strategy aimed at maximizing the concessionally of new debt, limiting non-concessional loans to programmed amounts and strengthening debt management will be key to preserving medium-term debt sustainability. -
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Zambia - Joint World Bank-IMF Debt Sustainability Analysis
(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2019-08)An updated debt sustainability analysis (DSA) is prepared using the revised Low-income Countries Debt Sustainability Framework (LIC DSF) to assess Zambia’s current debt situation. Debt burden indicators have deteriorated considerably since the October 2017 DSA mainly on account of large fiscal deficits as the authorities made use of available financing to boost infrastructure spending, weaker growth and exchange rate, and a worsened external environment (terms of trade and financial conditions). Rising debt service costs (both externally and domestically) and a large pipeline of contracted and to-be-disbursed loans place Zambia’s public debt on an unsustainable path under current policies while budget expenditure arrears have risen. Zambia’s debt-carrying capacity has also weakened with its FX reserves’ import coverage declining from 4.7 months in 2015 to 1.7 months in May 2019. All four external debt burden indicators breach their indicative thresholds, three of them by large margins and throughout the medium-term under the baseline scenario. Total public debt is projected to increase somewhatin the near-term as, under unchanged policies, fiscal deficits remain large, before gradually declining as large debt-financed public projects are completed and forced fiscal adjustment occurs given financing constraints. As a frontier market, Zambia’s high gross financing needs (peaking at 19 percent of GDP over the next three years), combined with wide EMBI spreads (1,575 basis points on June 11, 2019) and high domestic borrowing costs, expose it to significant market-financing risks. Despite the challenging fiscal situation, Zambia has remained current on all its debt obligations both domestic and external, and has not experienced a debt distress event. The authorities remain committed to prioritizing debt service payments and have identified resources to continue meeting debt obligations in the near-term. However, staff assess the risk of external and overall public debt distress for Zambia as very high at this juncture, and that a large upfront and sustained fiscal adjustment is essential to begin reducing debt vulnerabilities. -
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Republic of Madagascar - Joint World Bank-IMF Debt Sustainability Analysis
(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2019-08)Madagascar is assessed at low risk of external debt distress. This marks a change from moderate risk in the June 2018 DSA, despite a broader definition of external debt, and reflects an upgrade in Madagascar’s debt carrying capacity rather than a change in the debt path. Under the baseline, external public and publicly guaranteed (PPG) debt is well below applicable thresholds. Stress tests do not breach the threshold applicable to countries with medium debt-carrying capacity. Total (external plus domestic) PPG debt is below the benchmark under the baseline, but growth shocks drive the present value of the ratio of debt to GDP above the benchmark. Shocks could also introduce liquidity problems, as the debt-service to revenue ratio could exceed 100 percent over the long term. The overall rating, of moderate debt distress, remains consistent with the 2018 DSA. These assessments continue to be supportive of Madagascar’s current plans to scale up its borrowing to meet its investment needs, though other factors are also critical. -
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Central African Republic - Joint World Bank-IMF Debt Sustainability Analysis
(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2019-07)The Central African Republic (C.A.R.) remains at high risk of external debt distress and overall high risk of debt distress under the revised Debt Sustainability Framework (DSF), unchanged from the 2018 DSA. Solvency indicators (the present values of the external public and publicly guaranteed debt-to-GDP and debt-to-exports ratios) remain below their relevant thresholds in the baseline scenario. However, liquidity indicators (debt service-to-exports and debt service-to-revenue ratios) breach their thresholds in the baseline scenario. Further considerations support the high-risk assessment: the debt indicators are sensitive to standard stress tests; macroeconomic projections are highly uncertain in a volatile security environment; and sizeable contingent liabilities, notably related to the large stock of unaudited potential domestic arrears and the limited financial information available on state-owned enterprises, could materialize. C.A.R.’s debt sustainability is also sensitive to a deterioration of the financing mix. A tailored scenario in which grant financing (of 2 percent of GDP) is replaced by concessional external debt-financing from 2021 onwards would worsen debt sustainability considerably. This shows that the government’s investment program requires grant financing, with concessional debt financing to be considered in exceptional cases. -
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Chad - Joint World Bank-IMF Debt Sustainability Analysis
(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2019-07)Chad’s risks of external and overall debt distress are high but have nonetheless declined in the past year. All but one external debt sustainability indicators are below their respective thresholds from 2019 onwards. The debt-to-revenue ratio moderately breaches its threshold under the baseline scenario. Overall, total public debt vulnerabilities are elevated although the present value (PV) of the public debt-to-GDP ratio remains on a downward trajectory. The debt sustainability analysis is based on projected continued fiscal prudence and an increase in non-oil revenues. Following the restructuring in 2018, the new Glencore debt contract has helped contain the impact of low oil prices on debt sustainability, as it allows for lower debt service when oil prices are lower. -
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Niger - Joint World Bank-IMF Debt Sustainability Analysis
(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2019-07)Niger's risk of external and overall public debt distress is rated "moderate" as in the previous DSA. While all thresholds are observed in the baseline, the PV of PPG external debt-to-exports ratio breaches its threshold under stress test scenarios. Debt-carrying capacity continues to be rated "medium." The analysis shows that Niger has limited space to accommodate negative shocks and remains vulnerable to adverse developments of its exports. The DSA is predicated on the government continuing to implement its reform program: fiscal consolidation; structural reforms, including revenue mobilization efforts; contain expenditures and improve spending quality; and timely completion of several large-scale projects, in particular the construction of a pipeline for crude oil exports. Identified weaknesses call for further strengthening of debt management, including by broadening the coverage of public debt, prioritizing concessional borrowing, and strengthening private-sector development to support economic diversification and mitigate the risks associated with commodity price fluctuations. -
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Togo- Joint World Bank-IMF Debt Sustainability Analysis
(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2019-07)Togo's risk of external debt distress continues to be moderate, while the overall risk of debt distress is high—unchanged from the previous Debt Sustainability Analysis (DSA) published in December 2018. While the mechanical results point to a low risk of external debt distress, judgment was applied given vulnerabilities arising from high domestic debt, which could, for example, likely lead to a reprofiling operation that would lead to an increase in external debt. Togo's public debt is on a downward trajectory despite an increase in 2018 compared with 2017. Togo's high public debt is the result of, among other factors, high deficits, contingent liabilities, and accumulated arrears. There is very little space to absorb shocks on total public debt. Baseline projections show that Togo's PV of total PPG debt (external plus domestic)-to-GDP ratio will decline below the new debt distress benchmark of 55 percent starting in 2023, down from 72 percent in 2018—with the bulk constituting domestic debt obligations. This analysis highlights the need for sustained fiscal consolidation, improved debt management, and strong macroeconomic policies to reduce the public debt to prudent levels over the medium term.