The World Bank was established after World War II to support reconstruction in Europe. Today, its mission is to reduce extreme poverty and boost shared prosperity around the world. The Bank provides loans, grants and technical assistance to countries and the private sector to reduce poverty in developing and transition countries. It has over 188 member countries and provides more than $30 billion annually for development-focused projects and policy prescriptions on a range of issues it believes will promote economic growth. These include but are not limited to: agriculture, trade policy, health, education, energy and mining.