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Which Countries are LICUS?
 


As defined by the World Bank, all LICUS are characterized by weak policies, institutions, and governance. This map shows how the LICUS composition has changed through the years, since the program was instituted by the Bank. It also shows the countries' severity levels (see explanation below) and conflict/post-conflict status.

This is an interactive map. Mouse over and click on any of the highlighted countries below to explore the map and see additional details. (Flash plug-in required)

2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006

Interactive Map - On | Off

LICUS /Fragile States Map Legend
Core LICUS Severe LICUS
Angola
Burundi
Cambodia
Congo
Cote d'Ivoire
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Eritrea
Guinea
Guinea-Bissau
Haiti
Kosovo (territory)
Lao PDR
Nigeria
Solomon Islands
Sudan
Timor-Leste
Togo
Vanuatu
West Bank and Gaza
Afghanistan
Central African Republic
Comoros
Liberia
Myanmar
Somalia
Zimbabwe
 
Sources:
World Bank. 2005. Low-Income Countries Under Stress (LICUS) Implementation Trust Fund: Request for Replenishment and Special Support for Sudan. OPCS. IDA/R2005-0253. Report No. 34831. Washington, DC.

World Bank. 2005. World Development Indicators. Washington, DC.

Map courtesy of DIY Maps

The Bank has used two criteria to define core and severe LICUS: per capita income within the threshold of International Development Association (IDA) eligibility, and performance of 3.0 or less on both the overall Country Policy and Institutional Assessment (CPIA) rating and on the CPIA rating for Public Sector Management and Institutions. Some low-income countries without CPIA data are also included.

Depending on the income level and CPIA rating, a LICUS country is classified in one of three subgroups: severe, core, or marginal. LICUS classified as "severe" have an overall and governance CPIA of 2.5 or less; LICUS classified as "core" have an overall and governance CPIA of 2.6–3.0); and LICUS classified as "marginal" have an overall and governance CPIA of 3.2. Marginal LICUS score on the edge of what is considered LICUS, and hence are identified by the Bank only for monitoring purposes (henceforth LICUS refers to core and severe LICUS, not marginal LICUS).

The Bank has recently replaced the term LICUS with fragile states , while retaining the same criteria to identify these countries.

The Independent Evaluation Group (IEG) is an independent unit within the World Bank; it reports directly to the Bank's Board of Executive Directors. The goals of IEG 's evaluations are to draw lessons from Bank experience, and to provide an objective basis for assessing the results of the Bank's work.

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