IMF and World Bank to hold 2026 annual meetings in Bangkok

A sign for the 2022 IMF and World Bank annual meetings, which were held in Washington. AP

The 2026 annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank will be held in Bangkok, Thailand, in October 2026.

The location was decided in a vote by the boards of governors of the two institutions, the entities said in a joint statement on Wednesday.

The annual meetings are usually held for two consecutive years at the IMF and World Bank headquarters in Washington, and every third year in one of the institutions’ member countries.

This year’s meetings will take place in Morocco in October.

The last time the annual meetings were held in Bangkok was in 1991.

The meetings have previously been held in Dubai, Istanbul, Singapore, Tokyo, Lima and Bali.

Established in 1945, the IMF is an organisation of 190 member countries that helps promote international trade, financial stability and economic growth.

The World Bank provides financing and advice to countries to address development challenges.

The IMF and World Bank provide financial assistance and debt service relief to countries worldwide.

The annual meetings bring together central bankers, ministers of finance and development, private sector leaders, civil society, media and academics to discuss some of the pressing issues facing the global economy.

These include the world economic outlook, global financial stability, poverty eradication, inclusive economic growth, job creation, climate change and digitalisation, among others.