Bangkok prepares to host the IMF-World Bank Annual Meetings, the first outside Washington in three years

International Economy Economy & Banking

Bangkok prepares to host the IMF-World Bank Annual Meetings, the first outside Washington in three years

11 October 2026

The 2026 Annual Meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank Group are scheduled from October 12 to October 18 in Bangkok, Thailand. They are the first held outside Washington in three years; the previous off-site meetings were in Morocco in October 2023. IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said 18,000 people had registered, 4,000 more than for the Morocco meetings. The Development Committee meets on Thursday, October 15, and the Annual Meetings Plenary Session is on Friday, October 16. Al Jazeera reported on 11 October that developing countries face $400bn in external debt payments in 2026.

Dates: October 12 to October 18, 2026 Registrations: 18,000 Developing countries' external debt payments in 2026: $400bn

Why it matters for exams: The Bretton Woods institutions and their Annual Meetings are core economy questions.

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11 October 2026 Source: World Bank Group

In plain words

Development Committee Joint Ministerial Committee of the Boards of Governors of the World Bank and the IMF — A ministerial forum of the World Bank and the IMF on development issues.