This web page provides information in on the activities of the Office, views of the IMF staff, and the relations between the Republic of the Congo and the IMF. Additional information can be found on Republic of the Congo and IMF country page, including official IMF reports and Executive Board documents in English and French that deal with the Republic of the Congo.

Congo and the IMF Country Page

At a Glance : Republic of the Congo's Relations with the IMF

  • Current IMF membership: 189 countries
  • Republic of the Congo joined the Fund in July 10, 1963; Article VIII
  • Total Quotas: SDR 84.60 Million (As of September 30, 2009)
  • Loans outstanding: PRGF/ECF Arrangements SDR 16.32 Million
  • 2013 Article IV consultation, Country Report 13/282, September 10, 2013
  • Press Release: IMF Mission Statement at the Conclusion of the 2014 Article IV Discussions with the Republic of Congo, May 27, 2014

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News and Highlights

  • Sub-Saharan Africa Regional Economic Outlook:

    Economic activity in sub-Saharan Africa has weakened markedly. To be sure, growth—at 3¾ percent this year and 4¼ percent in 2016— still remains higher than in many other emerging and developing regions of the world. Still, the strong growth momentum evident in the region in recent years has dissipated in quite a few cases.

    November 5, 2015

  • Central African Economic and Monetary Community (CEMAC): Common Policies of Member Countries

    CEMAC’s economic outlook has changed dramatically since the last discussions because of the significant decline in international oil prices. The financial sector is shallow, and financial intermediation and inclusion are limited. The regional institutions face considerable challenges, including from political interference and capacity constraints. Downside risks are important, as CEMAC is vulnerable to protracted low oil prices and a possible relapse in regional security crises.

    November 5, 2015

  • Sub-Saharan Africa Regional Economic Outlook:

    The October 2013 Regional Economic Outlook: Sub-Saharan Africa provides a comprehensive report on the prospects for growth in the region, as well as the major risks to the outlook.

    October 13, 2013

  • 2010 – A Banner Year for Debt Relief to Africa

    The IMF’s African Department is the hub of the institution’s engagement with low-income member countries. Over the past year, 13 new programs were approved under the IMF’s Policy Support Instrument, and Extended Credit Facility, more flexible policies were implemented to allow for flexible financing of infrastructure investment, and policy advice focused on restoring “macroeconomic buffers” that enabled effective policy responses to mitigate the worst of the impact of the 2009 global economic crisis.

    March 22, 2011

  • Africa Faces Twin Challenges After Global Crisis

    With world recovery under way, Africa faces the twin challenges of reviving strong growth and reinforcing resilience to the economic shocks that regularly batter the continent, IMF officials say as Managing Director Dominique Strauss-Kahn embarks on a three-country visit to the region.

    March 5, 2010

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Republic of Congo and the IMF

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Regional Economic Outlook for Sub-Saharan Africa

Sub-Saharan Africa: Restarting the Growth Engine

May 2017

Growth momentum in sub-Saharan Africa remains fragile, marking a break from the rapid expansion witnessed since the turn of the millennium. 2016 was a difficult year for many countries, with regional growth dipping to 1.4 percent—the lowest level of growth in more than two decades. Most oil exporters were in recession, and conditions in other resource-intensive countries remained difficult. Other nonresource-intensive countries however, continued to grow robustly. A modest recovery in growth of about 2.6 percent is expected in 2017, but this falls short of past trends and is too low to put sub-Saharan Africa back on a path of rising living standards. While sub-Saharan Africa remains a region with tremendous growth potential, the deterioration in the overall outlook partly reflects insufficient policy adjustment. In that context, and to reap this potential, strong and sound domestic policy measures are needed to restart the growth engine. Read the report

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Departmental Papers on Africa

Africa Departmental Papers Cover The Departmental African Paper Series covers research on Sub-Saharan Africa conducted by International Monetary Fund (IMF) staff, particularly on issues of broad regional or cross-country interest. The views expressed in these papers are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the views of the IMF, its Executive Board, or IMF management.

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IMF Opens Africa Training Institute in Mauritius

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) on June 26, 2014 opened the Africa Training Institute (ATI) in Ebene, Mauritius, adding an important regional center to a global network of centers helping to develop countries' policymaking capacity by transferring economic skills and best practices.