Analysis on world bank's disbursements distribution between 1985 and 2010

Abstract

This article analyzes World Bank’s disbursements distribution criteria in Latin America and the Caribbean, in the period comprised between 1985 and 2010, aiming at identifying tendencies in disbursements distribution among the region’s countries. Hence, the authors propose the concept of “adherence”: the approximation between disbursements distribution and socio-economic needs in recipient countries. Thus, the article seeks to identify the criteria that guide resources distribution and their correspondence to WB’s stated mission of fi ghting poverty. The article tests the existence of such criteria with the econometric analysis of disbursements for each country, in relation to population, per capita income, GDP, political regime, investment participation and government expenditure. Resources distribution is also analyzed in terms of economic sectors, in selected sub-periods, also aiming at identifying World Bank’s priorities in the region, as well as the disbursement changes occurred in the period