The Sahel is experiencing rapid and disorderly urbanization. The capital cities of Bamako, Conakry, and Niamey dominate the urban landscape in their respective countries. In each of these three countries, the economic importance of the capital city is enormous. For instance, Bamako represents...

The Sierra Leone Economic Update (SLEU) reports on and analyzes recent economic developments and policies within medium-term, regional, and global contexts and analyzes the implications of these developments and policies for the outlook of the economy. Macroeconomic imbalance worsened in 2017...

This report identifies critical opportunities and constraints faced by the Vanuatu health system as it makes progress toward universal health coverage (UHC). Protecting the achievements that have been made over recent years, while continuing to improve a broader range of health outcomes,...

This report identifies critical opportunities and constraints faced by the Kiribati health system as it makes progress towards Universal Health Coverage. Protecting the achievements that have been made over recent years, while continuing to improve a broader range of health outcomes, requires...

Gender equality is a core development objective in its own right, and it is also smart economics. Greater gender equality pays off by helping advance a host of development goals, such as improvements in children's health and education and better labor outcomes for adults, at the same time...

A strong policy response - on the back of fiscal buffers, a strong financial system, and favorable external conditions - enabled Turkey to recover from its shock of 2016, with growth accelerating to 7.4 percent in 2017. The outcome of supply constraints and demand impulse are reflected in high...

The World Bank Economic Update provides an overview of recent economic and social developments and policies in China. Economic activity in China remains resilient, with GDP growing by 6.9 percent in 2017 and 6.8 percent year on year (yoy) in the first quarter of 2018. Consumption continues to...

Performance based budgeting (PBB) has been a popular reform among ministries of finance across the world, accompanied by high expectations for its ability to transform national budget processes. PBB offers the hope of a more evidence-based rationale for making budget decisions across an array of...

A recovery in the oil sector boosted recent economic performance. While the recovery in global oil prices would have a welcoming effect for Kazakhstan in terms of enhancing the economy’s buffers and supporting growth, it may also reduce the perceived urgency for transitioning to the new growth...

Myanmar's economy performed better in 2017/18 with a modest growth acceleration that partially reversed the deterioration experienced in 2016/17. While the outlook remains positive, risks have intensified. The economy experienced a broad-based increase in real GDP growth to 6.4 percent in...