Determinants of IMF lending: How different is Sub-Saharan Africa?

The initiation of IMF agreements in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) follows an inherently different process than in other regions. While economic conditions explain part of the di erence in lending decisions, some economic but also political factors have sys-tematically different effects on IMF lending in SSA. Studies that account for selection into IMF programs should take this into account in order to increase the reliability of their findings.