international organization founded in 1959 by 20 governments in North and South America to finance economic and social development in the Western Hemisphere.
The largest charter subscribers were Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Venezuela, and the U.S. Subscribers now include nearly 30 countries in North and South America and more than 15 countries in Europe, as well as Japan and Israel. The IDB group also includes the Inter-American Investment Corp. and the Multilateral Investment Fund. It is headquartered in Washington, D.C.