International trade in 2009 is projected to contract for the first time since 1982. As a result, export diversifi cation has gained new urgency as one way of using exports to recover lost growth momen
All countries in the former transition economies of Central, Eastern, and Southern Europe have undertaken public pension reforms of varying depth and orientation, often with the support of the World B
'Handbook on Poverty + Inequality' was originally designed to support training courses in poverty analysis and inequality. The 'Handbook' begins with an explanatory text that includes numerous example
Cotton is a rare economic success story in Sub-Saharan Africa. While the continent's share of the world's agricultural trade fell by about half from 1980 to 2005, its share of world cotton exports mor
This paper describes the characteristics of public investment management (PIM) in seven EU countries as it applies to a single sector—transport infrastructure. The report highlights some of the common
The past two decades in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union have been times of tremendous change, with countries undergoing rapid transformation from centrally-planned to market-oriented econom
There is an increasing consensus in the scientific community that climate change is a real and present threat. Despite the large uncertainty on the timing, magnitude and even the direction of some of
'HIV and AIDS in South Asia: An Economic Development Risk' offers an original perspective on HIV and AIDS as major development issues for the region. Although the impact of HIV and AIDS on economic gr
With challenges similar to those faced by a number of low income countries, Madagascar faces critical policy choices with respect to post-basic education. Enrolment ratios in senior secondary educati
Large and growing subsidies to residential consumers in Mexico have become a major policy concern. This report explains the growth of subsidies, the current distribution of subsidies across income cla
The World Bank approaches malaria not only as a major public health issue but also as a broader development problem that costs Africa US$12 billion a year and helps keep families and communities in po
Although the Latin American region's growth rates are at a three decade high, they have been historically disappointing in relative terms, which cannot be dissociated from the microeconomic environmen
More than a decade has passed since the introduction of comprehensive macroeconomic stabilization packages and trade, fiscal, and financial market reforms in Latin America and the Caribbean. However,
For years, water shortages, water pollution, and flooding have constrained growth and affected public health and welfare in many parts of China. Given continuing economic trends and population growth,
Published in association with Harper Collins, the completely revised and updated second edition of the Atlas of Global Development vividly illustrates the key development challenges facing our world t
Since 1978, the World Bank's annual 'World Development Report' (WDR) has provided in-depth analysis and policy recommendations on a specific and important aspect of international development from agri
The 'Gender in Agriculture Sourcebook' provides an up-to-date understanding of gender issues and a rich compilation of compelling evidence of good practices and lessons learned to guide practitioners
Transport prices for most African landlocked countries range from 15 to 20 percent of import costs. This is approximately two to three times more than in most developed countries. It is well known tha
Equality of opportunity is about leveling the playing field so that circumstances such as gender, ethnicity, place of birth, or family background do not influence a person’s life chances. Success in l
‧ Why is productivity higher in cities?‧ Does urbanization cause growth or does growth cause urbanization?‧ Do countries achieve rapid growth or high incomeswithout urbanization?‧ How can policy make
India has emerged in the past few years as one of the world’s fastest growing economies. While a high level of investment and domestic private consumption continue to drive growth, it is necessary to
The World Bank approaches malaria not only as a major public health issue but also as a broader development problem that costs Africa US$12 billion a year and helps keep families and communities in po
Tunisia’s past integration policies have significantly increased FDI flows in the manufacturing sector, triggering a rise of textiles and clothing and mechanical and electrical components exports thro
The great value of this volume is its presentation of the Human Opportunity Index, an indicator that notes both basic opportunities and how equitably those opportunities are distributed, in this case,
Safety nets are noncontributory transfer programs targeted to the poor or vulnerable. They play important roles in social policy. Safety nets redistribute income, thereby immediately reducing poverty
How many people are using banking services in poor countries? What financial services are used? And how could access to banking services be expanded to include more people? 'Banking the Poor' explores
The financial sectors in South Asia Region (SAR) are dominated by commercial banks, which account for the vast majority of the financial system’s assets. The domestic debt markets including the govern
The Doing Business series provides research, data, and analysis on regulationin 181 economies across 10 areas of the business life cycle. Doing Business2009 identifies top reformers in business regula
Upon signing the Millennium Declaration in 2000, the international community committed itself to eight development goals with timebound targets and measurable indicators. The third of these eight goal
This evaluation assesses the Bank Group's support for environmental sustainability—in both the public and private sectors—over the past 15 years. It identifies several crucial constraints that need to
The financial sectors in South Asia Region (SAR) are dominated by commercial banks, which account for the vast majority of the financial system’s assets. The domestic debt markets including the govern
This title is part of an initiative by the World Bank to develop standard indicators to measure the performance and soundness of the financial sector in the South Asia region and help pinpoint where p
In recent years, the world has seen both massive destruction caused by natural disasters and immense financial and physical support for the victims of these calamities. So that these natural hazards d
Now in its second edition, the Little Data Book on Information and Communication Technology 2008 presents at-a-glance tables for over 140 economies. The book shows the most recent national data on key
The authors (all of the World Bank) conduct an econometric analysis of systemic, cross-country, and time-series data concerning private participation in the electricity, telecommunication, and water s
A pocket edition of the Bank's World Development Indicators intended as a quick reference for users of the mother volume and its online versions. Tables list data for 800 indicators in the areas of pe
This thematic study consists of case studies of Ghana, Malawi, and Uganda, as well as, a review of studies undertaken over the past ten years on education in Africa with particular attention to girls'
'The Malaysia-Indonesia Remittance Corridor' finds that Indonesian migrants to Malaysia are showing an increasingly clear preference for informal transfer mechanisms compared to their counterparts in
Rapid growth in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union since the Russian financial crisis of 1998 has moved 50 million people—out of 400 million—out of absolute poverty. This has been brought abou
Irrigation has made a major contribution to poverty reduction in the past decades, enabling higher yields and better nutrition. Despite these achievements, large-scale irrigation schemes have usually
