The paper explores the quality of the recent high-growth episode in sub-Saharan Africa by examining the following two questions: (i) what has been the nature and pattern of SSA growth over the past 15 years and how does it compare with previous episodes? (ii) has this growth had an impact on...

This note analyzes levels and trends of health expenditures by country, income group, and region in the context of overall government revenue, expenditure, and GDP trends between 1995 and 2010. The study uses available data from the World Health Organization's (WHO) National Health Accounts, the...

Pension reform is high on the policy agenda of many advanced and emerging market economies. In advanced economies the challenge is generally to contain future increases in public pension spending as the population ages. In emerging market economies, the challenges are often different. Where...

Samoa currently faces two important public policy challenges in the health sector. One is to stem, and then reverse, the rapid rise of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). The second challenge is to put the country on a health-financing path that is effective, efficient, and financially affordable...

TOPALS is a relational model that can be used for smoothing and projecting age-specific rates or probabilities. TOPALS uses a linear spline to model the ratios between the age-specific rates or probabilities to be fitted or projected and a smooth standard age schedule. TOPALS is easy and...

Рассматриваются основные новации пенсионной реформы в Украине 2011 года, экономические и социальные детерми-нанты, которые определили ход реформы пенсионной...