From Strategic Investment to Tangible Results: Notable examples from the Human Capital Trust Fund
Two-thirds of the income gap between developed and developing countries can be attributed to disparities in human capital. Yet, budgets for critical human capital investments are
Extreme poverty: hard-won gains, new risks ahead
For decades, the world made remarkable progress in reducing extreme poverty. This transformation, driven in large part by economic growth, lifted more than a billion
The devil is in the tail: How firms’ beliefs about rare macroeconomic disasters shape investment
Little is known about how firms think about rare macroeconomic disasters and how these beliefs shape their decisions. This column uses survey evidence from a
The macroeconomic consequences of undermining central bank independence: Evidence from governor transitions
In recent years, several high-profile episodes have renewed concerns about central bank independence in practice. This column constructs a new cross-country dataset of central bank
Elevating the knowledge agenda for women entrepreneurs to boost jobs, growth, and access to finance
Women entrepreneurs represent a powerful yet largely untapped source of job creation and economic growth. Removing barriers faced by women entrepreneurs would significantly boost economic growth,
Introducing the World Bank Land Data Map
From urbanization to agriculture, land systems touch nearly every aspect of development. That’s why the World Bank Group has launched the Land Data Map, a new
When the cloud meets a thirsty world
Throughout history, water has been the quiet engine behind progress: farmers irrigate fields to grow crops; industry needs it to produce goods and generate energy;
House prices in big cities cannot be expected to come down any time soon
House prices have increased sharply in many advanced economies, often leading to populist revolt and social crises. This column argues that agglomeration externalities foster urbanisation
Capital cities lead, while other cities lag in the EU
It is widely assumed that cities are the engines driving national and regional growth. This column analyses productivity dynamics across metropolitan regions in Europe over
Innovation in the digital economy architecture: Ensuring regulatory simplification drives innovation and growth
Over the last decade, the EU has pioneered a world-leading framework for digital governance, but the result has been an increasingly complex regulatory landscape and
