Nearly Half of IMF-Eligible Countries Face Debt Distress or High Risk, Interest Payments Quadruple

A report released by Transparency International ahead of the IMF and World Bank Annual Meetings warns that nearly half of the countries eligible for concessional financing from the International Monetary Fund are either in debt distress or at high risk. The report highlights that interest payments have quadrupled since 2013, with 57% of Africa's population living in countries spending more on interest than on health, education, and climate action, urging greater transparency and safeguards against corruption in public borrowing.