Indigenous Peoples Overview

The world’s approximately 476 million Indigenous Peoples are critical partners in development. They manage or hold tenure rights to roughly a quarter of the world's surface area, accounting for a significant portion of the world’s biodiversity, nearly half of the earth’s protected areas, and over half of the planet’s remaining intact forests.

Despite their vital role in conservation, Indigenous Peoples experience disproportionately high levels of poverty. They make up only 6.2 percent of the global population, yet account for 18.2 percent of those living in extreme poverty worldwide. Indigenous Peoples’ life expectancy is up to 20 years lower than the rest of the population, and they face severe barriers to accessing basic services, education, infrastructure, and job opportunities. For example, in the Philippines, 20 percent of Indigenous households lack access to electricity for lighting, compared to just 5 percent of non-Indigenous households. In Panama Indigenous women are approximately six times more likely to die in childbirth than the non-indigenous population. Across Latin America, access to piped water averages 71% for Indigenous peoples versus 90% for non-Indigenous populations—a 19-percentage point gap. Additionally, information for seven countries in the region indicates the prevalence of stunting is over twice as high for indigenous children under the age of five as it is for non-indigenous children, ranging from 22.3% in Colombia to 58% in Guatemala.

A recent World Bank Group study adds to evidence of Indigenous Peoples’ historic reliance on ancestral knowledge, cultural practices, and strong governance systems to sustain their communities and adapt to a changing climate. Secure access to land and natural resources, traditional knowledge, and strong governance and dialogue with external actors are all key to Indigenous Peoples’ resilience and continued stewardship of the world’s ecosystems.

The World Bank Group works closely with governments, Indigenous Peoples, and development partners around the world to recognize and support Indigenous Peoples’ unique vision, knowledge, and contributions as partners in achieving development solutions and a livable planet for all.

Last Updated: Oct 10, 2025

The World Bank Group is committed to working with client countries to support Indigenous Peoples’ role, voice, and benefits within national development processes. First, with client countries, the World Bank promotes knowledge and understanding of Indigenous Peoples’ key challenges and priorities through supporting analytical work, country policy dialogue, and institutional capacity-building. Second, as requested by client governments, the World Bank supports investment and policy lending to advance priority policy reforms or investments for and with Indigenous Peoples. Third, when Indigenous Peoples are present and have collective attachment to investment project areas—and meet the criteria established within the Environmental and Social Standard 7 (ESS7)—the World Bank Group ensures they are meaningfully consulted to both enhance the design and delivery of development outcomes, while avoiding or mitigating any potential adverse impacts. Finally, the World Bank provides direct grants to Indigenous Peoples' organizations through climate and nature trust funds that are subject to a ‘no objection’ sign-off by the relevant member country.

Over the past two decades, the World Bank has developed multiple analytical products that contribute to global understanding of Indigenous Peoples and their key development challenges, priorities, and innovations. The World Bank has also convened Indigenous Peoples through strategic dialogue and participation in key global and regional engagements to: (1) build mutual understanding and trust as the foundation for partnership, and to enhance the World Bank Groups’ advice and support to client countries; (2) ensure that Indigenous Peoples’ unique knowledge and perspectives are part of global policy dialogue and World Bank analytics; and (3) engage in co-design processes of critical global and national initiatives.

Building on this analytical work, dialogue, and practical experience, the World Bank provides technical assistance to governments and Indigenous Peoples to enhance country-level policies, dialogue, and investments with Indigenous Peoples. Examples include the 2024 World Bank–Indigenous Peoples regional dialogues—held across Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Pacific—with over 150 Indigenous participants from more than 50 countries, as well as country-level support in Colombia, Peru, Kenya, Brazil, the Philippines, Panama, and many others.

At the request of client governments, the World Bank also supports investment and policy lending to advance Indigenous Peoples’ development and policy priorities. This is achieved through the integration of Indigenous Peoples’ development priorities into project objectives, indicators, targeted and/or tailored components and activities, as well as specific measures to ensure the representation of Indigenous Peoples in project implementation, as well as monitoring and evaluation. Examples include the National Indigenous Peoples Development Plan Project in Panama, as well as the Tripura Rural Economic Growth and Service Delivery Project.

At the same time, in World Bank investment project financing, ESS7 on Indigenous Peoples/Sub-Saharan African Historically Underserved Traditional Local Communities contributes to overall development by ensuring that projects supported by the World Bank enhance opportunities for Indigenous Peoples to participate in, and benefit from, the investments financed by the World Bank in ways that respect their collective rights, promote their aspirations, and do not threaten or impact their unique cultural identities and ways of life. Currently, ESS7 is being applied in approximately 33 percent of the Bank’s investment lending in 57 countries.

The World Bank has also gained experience with direct financing for Indigenous Peoples through three Multi-Donor Trust Funds. This has allowed the World Bank to support innovations with Indigenous Peoples that directly inform national policies and systems to enhance their participation in development. These mechanisms include: the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility Capacity Building Program (FCPF), which provided $9.9 million in regional grants to Indigenous Peoples and local communities' organizations between 2008 and 2022; the Dedicated Grant Mechanism (DGM), launched in 2010, which has supported $80 million across 12 country-level projects; and Enhancing Access to Benefits while Lowering Emissions (EnABLE), initiated in 2020, which provides $3-4 million grants to support inclusion of Indigenous Peoples, women, and others in the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility’s Emissions Reduction Programs.

Last Updated: Oct 10, 2025

The following examples highlight World Bank support for analytics, policy dialogue, country investments, and direct financing for Indigenous Peoples at the global, regional, and national levels.

Advancing knowledge and analytics relevant for Indigenous Peoples

An Indigenous Peoples Resilience Framework, led by Indigenous researchers from Asia, Africa and Latin America, was developed, building off case studies from 16 countries and three regional dialogues. This Framework outlines a common set of principles, internal drivers, and external enablers that are critical for Indigenous Peoples’ resilience to shocks.
In the Philippines, the World Bank collaborated with the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples and the Philippines National Statistic Authority to develop the 2024 flagship report, No Data No Story: Indigenous Peoples in the Philippines. The report compiled critical Indigenous Peoples’ data and included a land and conflict analysis. It also introduced the Indigenous Peoples and Ancestral Domain Portal and launched the country’s first Indigenous Peoples Household Survey.
In Cameroon, Gabon, the Central African Republic, and the Republic of Congo, the World Bank is supporting technical assistance and analytics to deepen understanding of the territories traditionally occupied by Indigenous Peoples and assess forest conservation dynamics in these areas.
In the Central African Republic, the World Bank supports REPALCA, a national platform composed of 16 Indigenous Peoples organizations, to provide training, capacity building on ESF implementation, and social accountability. These activities empower Indigenous organizations to take a leading role in consultations on issues affecting Indigenous Peoples and to strengthen their ability to participate meaningfully in decision-making processes.

World Bank direct dialogues with Indigenous Peoples

At the global level, the World Bank engages on an ongoing basis with Indigenous leaders at high-level events and in bilateral meetings to deepen understanding of Indigenous priorities while also sharing information on the World Bank’s work and lessons from engagements in other regions. For example, in February 2025, four Indigenous leaders shared their unique perspectives with 1,800 World Bank staff worldwide. These leaders wove their personal stories into critical messages on sustainable development, highlighting key lessons for both the World Bank and the global community and reinforcing how spirituality, traditional knowledge, and cultural practices are not only central to Indigenous resilience, but also to protecting the one-third of global ecosystems that Indigenous communities currently own or manage.
At the regional level, the World Bank and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) jointly held four dialogues in 2024 Africa, Asia, the Pacific, and Latin America and the Caribbean. More than 150 Indigenous thought leaders from over 50 countries participated, using the platform to share priorities, challenges, and ideas for stronger collaboration at the country level.
The World Bank’s Latin America and Caribbean team maintains ongoing dialogue and strategic collaboration with FIAY and FILAC to improve the application of ESS7 and ensure meaningful inclusion of Indigenous Peoples in World Bank policy discussions and investments across the region. Specific results include: technical assistance to governments and World Bank country teams on Indigenous Peoples policies and issues; organizational strengthening for Indigenous organizations; and analytical work, including a flagship regional report, Indigenous Latin America in the Twenty-First Century.
In Panama, the World Bank is actively engaging with Indigenous Peoples through the National Council of Indigenous Peoples (CONDIPI). This collaboration is part of the World Bank’s National Indigenous Peoples Development Plan Project, which strengthens institutional and governance capacities among both the Government of Panama and Indigenous authorities. These efforts are designed to ensure that Indigenous Peoples are actively involved in the decision-making processes that affect their development and well-being.
In Colombia, the Mesa Permanente de Concertación Indígena (MPC) and the World Bank initiated a structured ongoing dialogue in 2024. Since then, the World Bank has been proactively engaging with the MPC to jointly develop a capacity-building agenda focused on Indigenous economies, climate resilience, and financial inclusion. This collaboration also includes the co-creation of innovative financing tools, such as the first Indigenous Peoples’ Bank in the region.
In Kenya, the World Bank is supporting the government and Indigenous Peoples to jointly develop a national policy and institutional framework to guide the inclusion of Indigenous Peoples, or marginalized and vulnerable groups, in national development processes.

Investing in Indigenous Peoples’ Priorities

In Kenya, the Financing Locally Led Climate Action Program (FLLoCA) is supporting partnerships between governments and communities to assess climate risks and identify solutions that are tailored to local needs and priorities. Indigenous Peoples represent a significant proportion of beneficiaries.
In Panama, the World Bank approved an $80 million loan in 2018 to support Indigenous Peoples’ proposal for development through the Support for the National Indigenous Peoples Development Plan. Jointly developed by Indigenous Peoples, the Government of Panama, and the World Bank, this project has made significant progress towards strengthening governance systems and placing Indigenous Peoples at the center of their own development. It has improved access to and quality of key public services, training over 2,000 Indigenous leaders in territorial governance, facilitating the adoption of a law and National Plan for Intercultural Bilingual Education, and training 200 midwives supported by a new birth monitoring and coordination mechanism. The project has also advanced the construction of educational and health centers to enhance service delivery in Indigenous territories.
In Brazil, the World Bank Country Partnership Framework (CPF) 2024-2029 includes a pillar to enhance inclusion of the poor and underserved populations, which aims to reduce racial and gender disparities and directly benefit Afro-descendants, Indigenous Peoples, and women facing poverty and exclusion. The World Bank is also supporting Brazil’s Ministry of Indigenous Peoples to prevent and reduce the high levels of land-related conflicts and violence against Indigenous Peoples through the development and adoption of protocols for peaceful negotiation and mediation of land conflicts.
In the Philippines, the Mindanao Inclusive Agriculture Development Project is the first World Bank-financed project in the country focused exclusively on improving agricultural development in Indigenous Peoples’ ancestral domains.

Direct Financing Mechanisms for Indigenous Peoples

In 2020, the World Bank established a multi-donor trust fund, Enhancing Access to Benefits while Lowering Emissions (EnABLE), to strengthen social inclusion and gender equality in World Bank results-based finance for emissions reductions programs. EnABLE has started the preparation and implementation of grants for Indonesia, Lao PDR, Vietnam, Nepal, Costa Rica, Mozambique, and Ghana with other countries to follow.
Launched in 2010, the Dedicated Grant Mechanism (DGM) provides $80 million for 12 country-level projects that empower Indigenous Peoples and local communities to manage forests, strengthen livelihoods, and secure land tenure. In each country, a National Steering Committee is established by community-appointed representatives of Indigenous Peoples and local organizations who govern the DGM, including project design and selection of the implementing agency. The Climate Investment Fund’s Nature, People, and Climate Program recently approved a phase to support new DGMs, in conjunction with national investment programs in 10 countries, including Brazil, Fiji, and Kenya.
The World Bank is providing support to the Government of Brazil in the co-design of the Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities’ dedicated financing allocation under the Tropical Forests Forever Facility (TFFF). As part of this support, the World Bank and the Government of Brazil partnered with the Global Alliance of Territorial Communities (GATC), an organization representing 35 million people from Indigenous and local communities living in forest territories in 24 countries across Asia, Africa, and Latin America.
From 2008 to 2022, the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility's Capacity Building Program financed $9.9 million in regional grants to Indigenous Peoples and local community organizations in Asia, Africa, and Latin America and the Caribbean. The grants supported Indigenous Peoples’ capacity building and participation in REDD+ through 110 projects in 35 countries.

Last Updated: Oct 10, 2025