The International Monetary Fund's Executive Board has greenlit the medium-term budget for the 2026-2028 financial years. This development arrives as the global economy navigates through significant transformations post-pandemic, with shifting economic and policy landscapes worldwide. In this environment, countries continue to seek the IMF's assistance for various operations.
"The issues that the Fund has been called on to address have become increasingly complex over the years," noted the statement, highlighting the budget's constancy in real terms compared to two decades ago, maintained through rigorous budget discipline. The Executive Board acknowledged the complexity of budget management amid high demand and emphasized the need for prudent resource stewardship and reprioritization to ensure that the IMF can adapt to its members' needs effectively.
For the fiscal year 2026, which spans from May 1, 2025, to April 30, 2026, the approved net administrative budget stands at $1,551.7 million. This amount is consistent with projected income and the targeted path for precautionary balances. Furthermore, the ceiling for unused budget resources to be rolled over from previous years will decrease from 5% to 4% for FY26, with a further reduction to 3% anticipated for FY27.
Additionally, the FY26 capital budget, set at $132.5 million, aims to address both facility-related needs and investments requiring substantial IT resources. The investments will focus on replacing end-of-life facilities, enhancing field office support, ongoing IT modernization, replacing legacy systems, and bolstering the Fund's cyber-security capabilities, aligning with its strategy to adopt Artificial Intelligence technology.
More details are available in the staff paper on the FY26-28 Medium-Term Budget.