Tuesday ● 17 February 2026
The Global Development Bank (GDB) categorizes countries into strategic country groups to support tailored partnerships, financing, and development programs. Organizing countries this way helps GDB design solutions that best fit shared needs and regional characteristics.
The European Union group includes member states of the EU — a key economic and political partnership of nations in Europe. GDB engagement with this group can involve cooperation on sustainable development, green financing, infrastructure, and trade-related investment frameworks.
Middle Income Countries (MICs) are nations with a growing gross national income (GNI) per capita that is above low-income thresholds but below high-income levels. These countries often face both development opportunities (such as expanding industry and urbanization) and challenges (such as inequality and infrastructure needs). GDB works with them to accelerate inclusive growth and structural transformation.
The OECS is a regional organization of small island states in the Eastern Caribbean. Given their size and vulnerability to economic shocks and climate risks, GDB’s engagement with these states typically focuses on resilient infrastructure, climate adaptation, disaster risk mitigation, and sustainable tourism development.
This group includes island nations beyond the Eastern Caribbean — many of which face similar development challenges, such as geographic isolation, limited economies of scale, resource constraints, and climate vulnerability. GDB supports development financing tailored to the unique needs of island economies.
Small States are countries with relatively small populations and economies. They often require customized development approaches due to limited capacity and higher exposure to external shocks (like global price changes or natural disasters). GDB groups these countries to provide focused, scalable development support and partnership strategies.
The Gulf Cooperation Council consists of countries in the Arabian Peninsula with significant oil and gas resources. GDB’s involvement with the GCC typically centers on economic diversification, sustainable energy transition, investment in human capital, and regional infrastructure development.
The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) group includes countries from South Asia. This region shares developmental priorities such as poverty reduction, regional integration, sustainable urbanization, and social development. GDB supports collaborative initiatives and financing in this diverse and densely populated region.
This broad group encompasses countries at earlier stages of economic development. They often face challenges related to poverty, infrastructure deficits, health and education gaps, and climate vulnerability. GDB’s programs for developing countries focus on long-term financing, capacity building, and sustainable development solutions.
By organizing countries into these groups, GDB can:
Tailor financing packages that reflect common economic profiles and development goals.
Foster collaborative programs that benefit multiple countries with similar needs.
Align regional and thematic strategies for greater impact.
Build partnerships with governments, regional bodies, and private sectors in a coordinated way.
This country grouping approach is similar to how other international development institutions classify countries — for example, the World Bank uses income categories (low, lower-middle, upper-middle, high) and geographic regions to help design lending strategies and development programs.
