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
Population aging is placing enormous pressures on the pension benefits governments are able to provide. The former transition economies of the countries of Central, Eastern, and Southern Europe (CESE)
'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
Creating job opportunities for its large and growing number of young people, is a key development challenge for the government of Sierra Leone. It is also crucial for maintaining peace and promoting p
The mystery is why Mexico's development performance has been disappointing with respect to growth and equity despite an array of economic reforms and the transition to democracy. Economists from the W
'Climate Resilient Cities: A Primer on Reducing Vulnerabilities to Disasters' provides city administratorswith exactly what they need to know about the complex and compelling challenges of climate cha
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
As growth and development in Africa increase rapidly, investment in infrastructure projects will often be best accomplished through public-private partnership. This Project Preparation Guide offers th
'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
Once a German possession, Namibia was ruled by apartheid South Africa until 1990, and is now quite prosperous by the standards of sub-Saharan Africa. The report surveys the people and poverty, the eco
The vast majority of the world's poorest households depend on farming for their livelihoods. During the 1960s and 1970s, most developing countries imposed pro-urban and anti-agricultural policies, whi
Governments are becoming increasingly aware of the important contribution that high performance, world-class universities make to global competitiveness and economic growth. There is growing recogniti
The media’s contribution to development occurs simultaneously along five closely intermingled influences: plurality and transparency, behavioral, infrastructure and platform, economic, and trade. The
Vietnam’s successes in the health sector are remarkable. Between 2000 and 2005, Vietnam achieved reductions in mortality rates for all ages, while some of its neighbors saw little change or even incre
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
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,
‘Does Private Sector Participation Improve Performance in Electricity and Water Distribution?’ this question has proven deceptively difficult to answer in the context of utilities in developing econom
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,
'The Little Data Book on Africa 2008/09' is a pocket edition of 'Africa Development Indicators 2008/09'. It contains some 115 key indicators on economics, human development, governance, and partnershi
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
Governments around the world, and particularly those in developing countries, face significant educational challenges. Despite progress in raising education enrollments at the basic education level, m
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
Written by economists at the World Bank and at universities in Latin America and Switzerland, this thought-provoking collection of reports by the Latin American Development Forum provides in-depth ana
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 first Global Observatory on Local Democracy and Decentralization (GOLD) Report is one of the main products of United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG). It constitutes a global reference on dece
Rising densities of human settlements, migration and transport to reduce distances to market, and specialization and trade facilitated by fewer international divisions are central to economic developm
Rising densities of human settlements, migration and transport to reduce distances to market, and specialization and trade facilitated by fewer international divisions are central to economic developm
The vast majority of the world's poorest households depend on farming for their livelihood. During the 1960s and 1970s, most developing countries imposed pro-urban and anti-agricultural policies, whil
'Catastrophe Risk Financing in Developing Countries' provides a detailed analysis of the imperfections and inefficiencies that impede the emergence of competitive catastrophe risk markets in developin
The ten chapters of this volume summarize and present results from background papers commissioned for a regional study sponsored by the Office of the Chief Economist for the Latin America and the Cari
The World Bank has committed itself to becoming a 'global knowledge bank', using knowledge to improve the development effectiveness of its work. Two of the analytical and advisory ways the Bank provid
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
Economic growth rates in Sub-Saharan Africa have more than doubled in the past decade. This growth mainly stems from the rising prices of commodities and other natural resources. In order to sustain t
Around the world, pension reform remains at the center of public debate. Its social, fiscal, and macroeconomic implications confront policy makers, practitioners, and academia with challenging questio
The World Bank commitment to Social Protection and Labor (SP&L) activities began in earnest in the late 1980s with the first social funds to help communities cope with short-term adverse impacts o
