Improves our understanding of the determinants of well-being in Latin America using a broad "quality-of-life" concept that challenges standard assumptions in economics, including those about the relationship between happiness and income. Builds upon new economic approaches related to the study...

This is a companion report to Assessing the Economic Returns to Investing in Youth in Developing Countries, with focus on the literature reviewed and greater detail in some parts than in the 2003 study. Both papers explore the economic case for investments in youth in developing countries. The...

Investments in youth are particularly important in light of the unprecedented numbers of young people now entering their reproductive and early adult productive years. Of the more than one billion youth aged 15-24, 86 percent live in developing countries. This guide is for those involved in...

The paper reviews the evidence on the link between low birth weight (LBW) and health outcomes and economic productivity. The overall benefits depend both on the economic environment and the manner in which future streams of income are discounted. Thus, the sensitivities of the overall estimates...

This paper explores the economic case for investments in youth in developing countries. The current cohort of youth is the largest cohort ever. The economic, social, and demographic context of their lives has undergone enormous change, thus requiring a rethinking and re-evaluation of the range...

Financial literacy and schooling attainment have been linked to household wealth accumulation. Yet prior findings may be biased due to noisy measures of financial literacy and schooling, as well as unobserved factors such as ability, intelligence, and motivation that could enhance financial...