Our Work

In the Spotlight

  • Supporting Trade in Asia and the Pacific

    The world needs an estimated $1 trillion to support the trade that grows economies and lowers poverty. ADB's Head of Trade Finance, Steven Beck, discusses strategies to fill that need.

  • ADB Operations meet Results Targets, on Budget in 2015

    ADB met the bulk of its operational targets in 2015, with most projects completed within budget, while financing hit new record highs over the year.

  • Annual Report 2015

    ADB's latest annual report shows that total operations surged to $27.17 billion in 2015—the highest in ADB’s history.  

  • Together We Deliver

    Together We Deliver highlights successful ADB projects across Asia and the Pacific that demonstrated development impacts, best practice, and innovation.

The Asian Development Bank aims for an Asia and Pacific free from poverty. ADB in partnership with member governments, independent specialists and other financial institutions is focused on delivering projects in developing member countries that create economic and development impact.

 As a multilateral development finance institution, ADB provides:

  • loans
  • technical assistance
  • grants

Our clients are our member governments, who are also our shareholders. In addition, we provide direct assistance to private enterprises of developing member countries through equity investments and loans.

ADB maximizes the development impact of its assistance by

  • facilitating policy dialogues,
  • providing advisory services, and
  • mobilizing financial resources through cofinancing operations that tap official, commercial, and export credit sources

Areas of Focus and Results

ADB operations are designed to support the three complementary agendas of inclusive economic growth, environmentally sustainable growth, and regional integration. ADB employs its limited resources in its areas of comparative strength—the core areas of:

 ADB also operates on a limited scale in other areas, including

See results of ADB-supported operations

Where does ADB get its funding?

ADB raises funds through bond issues on the world's capital markets. We also rely on our members' contributions, retained earnings from our lending operations, and the repayment of loans. We also provide loans and grants from a number of special funds.

How much assistance does ADB provide?

In 2015, loan and grant approvals to ADB's developing member countries amounted to $16.29 billion, compared to $13.49 billion in 2014. Private sector operations posted a jump to $2.63 billion from $1.92 billion in 2014. ADB mobilized, with donor support, more than $10.74 billion in cofinancing, bringing total operations for 2015 to $27.17 billion, the highest in ADB's history.

See: ADB Annual Reports