Gross domestic product (GDP) growth in China has remained strong in 2017, exceeding market expectations. Supported by risinghousehold incomes, the growth contribution of final consumption increased further this year. At the same time, the growth contribution of fixed investment has declined...

Bolivia is a country with a vast geographical diversity, from a high plateau (altiplano) that reaches 3,000 meters above sea level to valleys at mid-altitude and tropical plains. During the last decade, the magnitude of Bolivia’s weather patterns has undergone significant changes; extreme...

Since 2013, a new legislation was being drafted by the Senate of Brazil, in response to the perception that the Agencies often lack financial, administrative and decision making autonomy, are subject to capture by both overt and tacit political interference, with appointees lacking the necessary...

The Palestinian economy is severely hampered by trade-related restrictions, high logistics costs, cumbersome procedures and institutional inefficiencies. Operating within an uneven customs union arrangement with Israel, the Palestinian economy has accumulated an enormous trade deficit and...

This report examines various approaches to conducting a case weighting analysis (CWA), and offers some good practices and several lessons. The report discusses the limitations of the CWA technique and offers some possible substitute approaches. The report aims to help policy makers and...

A joint analysis of poverty and living standards was conducted by a technical team from the Ministry of Planning and Finance, Government of Myanmar, and the Poverty and Equity Global Practice of the World Bank. Poverty has previously been estimated using data from the Integrated Household Living...

This edition of the Kazakhstan Country Economic Update (CEU) is part of a semi-annual series designed to monitor socio-economic developments in Kazakhstan. It presents a concise analysis of political, economic and social developments, as well as a progress report on structural reform...

The Lao PDR Economic Monitor provides updates on macroeconomic developments and sectoral issues in the country. It is produced bi-annually and distributed widely to the government agencies, development partners, the private sector, think tanks, civil society organizations, and academia....

Policy-makers across developing economies are implementing different forms of special economic zones (SEZs): programs intended to catalyze economic growth. The SEZ program is aimed at attracting foreign direct investment (FDI) to increase firm-level investment and improve firm-level productivity...