Economic growth remains below pre-COVID-19 levels, mainly owing to protracted macroeconomic instability. Economic growth is estimated at 3.7 percent for 2023, with positive contributions from the services sector (for example, tourism, transport, and logistics) and mining. Electricity generation,...

Administrative divisions extend beyond mere map boundaries as they significantly impact people's lives, influencing the availability and quality of public goods such as green spaces, transportation, waste management, and education. Local governance affects individuals from an early age, managing...

This federal Public Expenditure Review (PER) analyzes the key drivers of Pakistan's fiscal deficits and explores how the Federal Government can regain fiscal and debt sustainability, in accordance with the fiscal rules set forth in the FRDLA 2005. The report builds upon previous studies,...

This report is the outcome of a costing study undertaken to obtain information about the costs of delivering health services at different administrative health care levels in Bhutan, to: Inform the Ministry of Health about the costs of delivering various types of services at different levels; --...

The 2023 Sustainability Review is a reflection of how the World Bank embodies its core values of impact, integrity, respect, teamwork, and innovation. The Review highlights World Bank activities undertaken in fiscal 2022 and 2023 to manage the environmental, social, and economic impacts of...

Intimate partner violence is the most common form of violence against women in conflict and non-conflict settings, but in conflict settings it often receives less attention than other forms of gender-based violence, such as conflict-related sexual violence. Using data from the 2008 and 2013...

This paper studies periods of prolonged contractions in output per capita in a sample of 145 countries from 1950 to 2014. Economic slumps are defined as abrupt interruptions of a period of growth by several regime switches. Slumps start with a sharp contraction along with a trend break, which is...

Trade can dramatically improve women’s lives, creating new jobs, enhancing consumer choices, and increasing women’s bargaining power in society. It can also lead to job losses and a concentration of work in low-skilled employment. Given the complexity and specificity of the relationship...