Where does the money come from?

The IMF gets its money primarily from member countries, using a fee structure based on the size of their economies. The U.S. contributes 17.5 percent of the IMF’s total fee budget while Palau, the world’s smallest economy, contributes 0.001 percent.

The World Bank also relies on member contributions, although its budget is primarily financed by lending its capital. The capital was originally obtained by selling bonds to private or institutional investors in North America, Europe, and Asia.