Power and decision making at the World Bank and IMF

189 countries are members of the World Bank and 190 countries are members of the IMF. Ireland is a member of both. At both the IMF and the World Bank the size of each country’s vote is linked to the size of its economy and how much money it pays into the institution. This means that both the World Bank and IMF are controlled by the richest countries in the world. The countries of the Global South, who borrow most, have the least say in decisions. The president of the World Bank is always American, and the president of the IMF is always European. The World Bank and IMF work together. A government often has to agree to IMF policy conditions before it can get assistance or a loan from the World Bank, and vice versa.