Reforms spurred by accession to the European Union (EU) boosted productivity and integrated Romania into the EU economic space. Gross domestic product per capita rose from 30 percent of the EU average in 1995 to 59 percent in 2016. Today, over 70 percent of the country's exports go to the EU,...

What effect does democratization have on meritocratic practices in the civil service? Democratization increases performance incentives within the bureaucracy. This leads to more meritocracy for individuals with performance-enhancing characteristics, such as educational attainment, which...

This report, Trajectories: Prosperity and Poverty Reduction in the Colombian Territory, explores the factors behind the lower capacity of many to lead productive lives in Colombia, particularly their lower accumulation of assets. It examines how this capacity persistently differs across...

This report documents the progress South Africa has made in reducing poverty and inequality since the end of apartheid in 1994, with a focus on the period between 2006 and 2015. The main conclusions are as follows: First, by any measure, South Africa is one of the most unequal countries in the...

The Angolan economy is at a juncture. The current growth model based on oil wealth is nearly exhausted,and has not delivered inclusive growth and shared prosperity. The challenge for the administration is to restore macroeconomic stability and lay the foundations for a new, more inclusive growth...

The outlook for the global economy has darkened amid elevated trade tensions. International trade and investment are moderating, trade tensions remain elevated, and financing conditions are tightening. Global growth is projected to moderate from a downwardly revised 3 percent in 2018 to 2.9...