In Zimbabwe, trade has been a driver of economic growth, rising incomes, and progressive empowerment of Zimbabweans through rising standards of living and the promise of better jobs. Since 1980, throu
Aging is a challenge which countries in East Asia and Pacific (EAP) regions are grappling with or will soon confront. It raises many questions for policymakers ranging from potential macroeconomic imp
This report examines the role of incentives, trust, and engagement as critical determinants of service delivery performance in MENA countries. Focusing on education and health, the report illustrates
The economic and social prospects are daunting for the 89 million out-of-school youth who comprise nearly half of all youth in Sub-Saharan Africa. Within the next decade, when this cohort becomes the
Urban and peri-urban land markets in rapidly expanding West African cities operate within and across different coexisting tenure regimes and involve complex procedures to obtain or make land available
At the turn of the millennium, the world experienced a dramatic increase in funding for global health programs. Competing demands for these resources meant that policymakers needed access to valid, ev
At the turn of the millennium, the world experienced a dramatic increase in funding for global health programs. Competing demands for these resources meant that policymakers needed access to valid, ev
Over the last decade, the Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) region has experienced a steady decline in poverty rates. This trend has been accompanied by strong income growth of the bottom 40 perce
This book is based on the findings of analysis that measured the expansion and population change in urban agglomerations across East Asia between 2000 and 2010. Key findings show an overall rapid pace
At the turn of the millennium, the world experienced a dramatic increase in funding for global health programs. Competing demands for these resources meant that policymakers needed access to valid, ev
This report provides a systematic review of the evidence on HIV vulnerability and response in all 53 countries of the WHO European Region, stretching from Iceland to the borders of China. It focuses o
At the turn of the millennium, the world experienced a dramatic increase in funding for global health programs. Competing demands for these resources meant that policymakers needed access to valid, ev
Latin America’s population is aging, and many among the growing elderly population are not protected by traditional pension schemes. In response, policy makers have been reevaluating their income prot
This report shows that in MENA, policies that lower competition and create an unleveled playing field abound and constrain private sector job creation. These policies take different forms across count
This study provides an overview of Bank investments in Early Childhood Development (ECD) from 2000-2013 within the Education, Health, Nutrition and Population, and Social Protection and Labor practice
Looking at the economic growth of seemingly similar countries one can find striking differences.Why has Australia gotten so much ahead of New Zealand, in spite of the latter being held up as a paragon
Compared to other regions, Europe and Central Asia is by far the oldest. Moreover, population aging is set to accelerate further over the next decades, as large cohorts turn old. Some countries in the
Over the last decade, the topics of corruption and recovery of its proceeds have steadily risen in the international policy agenda, with the entry into force of the United Nations Convention against C
Public resources - if invested well in public infrastructure and services - can catalyze private and community efforts and unleash an inclusive growth and development process. But public investment at
This book is about global public goods (GPGs), particularly those related to the environment, in the context of the global development process. We, the co-editors of this volume, are concerned with th
Despite recent advances in important aspects of the lives of girls and women, pervasive challenges remain. These challenges reflect widespread deprivations and constraints and include epidemic levels
The state of the Indian power sector today is an acknowledged constraint to the country’s growth aspirations. This book examines the home-grown Indian experience with private sector participation in p
This World Bank review, Governance of Indian State Power Utilities: An Ongoing Journey, is a first attempt to systematically examine the quality of corporate and regulatory governance in the Indian po
The weak economic performance and insufficient and low-quality job creation in Tunisia is primarily the result of an economic environment permeated by distortions, barriers to competition, and excessi
The emergence of Low-Cost Carriers (LCCs) has been a key catalyst for the development of the aviation industry in the last decade. This book identifies various definitions that have been applied to de
Building and operating successful public institutions is a perennial and long-term challenge for governments, which is compounded by the volatile conditions found in fragile settings. Yet some governm
Ethiopia’s model for delivering basic services appears to be succeeding and to confirm that services improve when service providers are more accountable to citizens. As discussed in the World Developm
Countries everywhere are divided within into two distinct spatial realms: one urban, one rural. Classic models of development predict faster growth in the urban sector, causing rapid migration from ru
The International Benchmarking Network for Water and Sanitation Utilities of the World Bank’s Water and Sanitation Program (IBNET) has been involved in water sector monitoring since 1997. It has set a
India has been one of the world’s leading developing countries in providing electricity to both rural and urban populations. The country’s rural energy policies and institutions have contributed grea
In the last 30 years, China’s record economic growth lifted half a billion people out of poverty, with rapid urbanization providing abundant labor, cheap land, and good infrastructure. While China has
Skills development in Ghana encompasses foundational skills, transferable/soft-skills, and technical and vocational skills. This report focuses on one segment of this skills development system: formal
IEG’s evaluation shows that the World Bank Group remained an important partner for the government in addressing many key policy challenges. The World Bank adapted its program effectively to meet shif
The World Bank Group is currently engaged in reflection and debate on how to improve the delivery of development support. Part of this debate concerns strengthening the knowledge agenda. The findings
The extent of urban air pollution in Pakistan—South Asia's most urbanized country—is among the world’s most severe, significantly damaging human health, quality of life, and the economy and environmen
This World Bank review of India’s power sector assesses state-wise progress in implementing the government’s reform agenda two decades after the liberalization of India’s economy and a decade after th
Fragile and conflict-affected states (FCS) have become an important focus of World Bank Group assistance in recent years as recognition of the linkages between fragility, conflict, violence, and pover
Over the past two decades Vietnam has made enormous progress towards achieving universal coverage (UC) for its population. Significant challenges remain, however, in terms of improving equity with con
Empirical research has found that entrepreneurial activity correlates positively with innovation and job creation, and governments around the world have shown a growing interest in interventions that
This study reviews the role and workings, with their strengths and weaknesses of last-resort income support (LRIS) programs in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. It draws on a combination of household
