Economics: Research Guide

Cities are on the frontlines of the global climate emergency. Sustainable urban planning is critical for developing cities that aim to balance growth with environmental preservation.

A World Bank study of pacú, rainbow trout, and mussel value chains highlights their potential to drive a new blue economy in Argentina.

The Yemen Country Climate and Development Report (CCDR) adopts a scenario-based approach to navigate these uncertainties, offering three distinct pathways: “Peace and Prosperity,” “Status Quo,” and “Escalation and Intensification”.

Economic inclusion programs—which provide cash transfers, skills training, business capital, coaching, and market access—reach only 10% of the approximately 700 million people living in extreme poverty, according to The State of Economic Inclusion Report 2024: Pathways to Scale.

The newly released Yemen Country Climate and Development Report (CCDR) by the World Bank Group highlights the critical need for climate-responsive investments to tackle urgent challenges around water, agriculture, and disaster risk management, while considering the conflict-affected and fragile conditions in the country.

Pacific Island countries have some of the highest rates non-communicable diseases in the world. Samoa is no exception. Samoa is empowering a community led response by placing village women’s committees at the center of their primary healthcare system and increasing the number and type of health workers in rural district hospitals.

Tourism provides significant opportunities for women's participation in employment, entrepreneurship, and leadership, but The Gambia is performing below the regional and global baselines.

Bosnia and Herzegovina needs to invest $6.8 billion over the next decade to protect its people, property and economy from the damaging and escalating impacts of climate change, according to the World Bank Group’s Country Climate and Development Report for Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Accessible reproductive and child health services through the Health Services and Capacity Strengthening Project (PRSCS) allowed increase of the number of births attended by skilled health personnel by more than 10 times, from 66,544 to 701,314.

The Djibouti Country Climate and Development Report (CCDR) highlights the critical climate challenges facing Djibouti, including threats to its economy and key regional role as a trade hub.

Without swift action, Djibouti could lose up to 6 percent of its GDP annually by 2050, equal to nearly four years of today’s economic output, according to the World Bank Group’s first Djibouti Country Climate and Development Report (CCDR).

The Country Climate and Development Report (CCDR) for Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) discusses the country's significant climate risks including frequent floods, wildfires, and severe air pollution, and proposes recommendations to tackle these challenges.

The World Bank today released the following statement on its climate finance accounting: “The World Bank Group is by far the largest provider of climate finance to developing countries. Last year, 44 percent of our lending—$42.6 billion—went toward climate adaptation and mitigation. This is up 10 percent from the previous year and close to our COP28 commitment of 45 percent by the end of the current fiscal year.

Locally Led Climate Action activities supported by the World Bank are expected to benefit over 100 million people by 2030.

Argentina boosts transport and energy access for poorest with World Bank support

The Heads of 10 multilateral development banks (MDBs) welcomed today the endorsement by G20 Leaders of the G20 Roadmap towards Better, Bigger, and More Effective MDBs.

Trade in Zambia: A New Generation of Farmers and Entrepreneurs is Reaping the Benefits of Trade Facilitation

Algeria’s economy grew by 3.9% in the first half of 2024 and inflation eased to 4.3 percent. Lower hydrocarbon exports, higher imports, and rising public spending reduced the current account surplus and increased the budget deficit. Algeria’s non-hydrocarbon export growth potential is significant.

The Republic of Korea has announced a 45% increase in its contribution to the World Bank’s International Development Association (IDA). Korea contributed KRW 585 billion in IDA20 and has committed to raising its contribution to KRW 846 billion in IDA21.

This report looks at how Viet Nam can upgrade its participation to global value chains to become a high-income economy by 2045. Viet Nam’s current export-driven growth model -- largely based on labor-intensive but relatively low value-added trade – has been a key drive of past success but will not be sufficient for the next phase of development towards high-income status. As the experience of Japan, Korea, Singapore, and now China shows, Viet Nam will need to continue to move up the value chain, shifting into higher value-added manufacturing and services using improved technology, skills, and innovation. Unlike its predecessors, Viet Nam will also have to manage this transition at a time..

Lake Victoria, the world’s second-largest freshwater lake, supports over 47 million people across East Africa. Rapid population growth and climate change are worsening pollution from inadequate sanitation, poor land practices, and industrial waste, degrading water quality, fish stocks, and public health. A new World Bank report highlights how the Lakewide Inclusive Sanitation (LWIS) approach can tackle sanitation pollution and improve Lake Victoria's water quality.

The World Bank's Infrastructure Sector Assessment for the Dominican Republic (InfraSAP) presents a series of high-level recommendations as a roadmap and brings them together in five pillars covering each of the sectors (transport and digital development) and cross-cutting issues (governance, funding and financing, and PPPs).

The Amen Program is a social assistance initiative in Tunisia that targets the country's most vulnerable citizens with cash transfers, medical services, and economic empowerment opportunities.

New Country Climate and Development Report for Tuvalu, Marshall Islands, and Kiribati highlights urgent need for action in face of rising seas.

This 2024 SCD Update for Croatia assesses the development progress made since 2018 and identifies the most important constraints and opportunities to ending poverty and promoting shared prosperity on a livable planet.

More than 5,000 young people with little or no education have found jobs thanks to the partnership between the National Employment Agency (ANPE) and the management company of the Glo-Djigbé industrial zone in Benin, through the Azôli program. This active labor market program, supported by the World Bank-funded Youth Inclusion Project (ProDIJ), is helping to secure employment opportunities for 25,000 young people from, among others, fragile areas of Benin.

Bringing health services to Nagaland’s people, especially to those in far-flung regions, has long been a challenge. Around two-thirds of the state’s 2.2 million people live in rural areas where road connectivity is poor, electricity is unreliable, and water supply and sanitation are inadequate. The shortage of specialist physicians and skilled healthcare workers leads to few deliveries in health facilities - the lowest in the country. Immunization rates are also low, and it has been difficult to address child malnutrition and mortality. But this is changing now. Since the project started in 2018, the functioning of 188 health centres across the state has improved, with more than 8,36,000..

Today, the Government of Rwanda and the World Bank launched the Rwanda Country Economic Memorandum (CEM), titled “Pathways to Sustainable and Inclusive Growth in Rwanda.” This comprehensive report, a collaborative effort between the Government of Rwanda and the World Bank, highlights the country’s significant economic achievements and presents recommendations to sustain growth in alignment with the second National Strategy for Transformation (NST-2).

Check out our COP29 factsheet on methane reduction blueprint.

Check out our COP29 factsheet on carbon markets.