The Little Data Book 2013 is a pocket edition of World Development Indicators 2013. It is intended as a quick reference for users of the World Development Indicators database, book, and mobile app. The database, which covers more than 1,200 indicators and spans more than 50 years The 214 country...

Access to reliable cross-country data on private sector development is crucial when formulating responses to economic crises. The data sources presented in this book report on the scope and types of regulations that enhance and constrain business activity and provide information on business...

Global warming and changes in climate have already had observed impacts on natural ecosystems and species. Natural systems such as wetlands, mangroves, coral reefs, cloud forests, and Arctic and high-latitude ecosystems are especially vulnerable to climate-induced disturbances. However, enhanced...

Jobs provide higher earnings and better benefits as countries grow, but they are also a driver of development. Poverty falls as people work their way out of hardship and as jobs empowering women lead to greater investments in children. Efficiency increases as workers get better at what they do,...

Education is a major instrument for economic growth and poverty reduction. Rapid changes in technology, globalization and economic reforms are creating dramatic shifts in the structure of economies and labor markets throughout the world. The challenges of the future lie with confronting...

This report is structured as follows. Chapter two provides background on what constitutes a medium-term expenditure framework, or MTEF and what it aims to achieve. It also describes the Bank's engagement with MTEFs, presents main points of debate over the experience with MTEFs, and provides a...

Curriculum reforms first and foremost should focus on improving the current teaching and learning processes. As a systemic challenge, these changes need to include re-orientation from secondary education as pre-academic tertiary education to a wider range of options, including vocational...

This Annual Report, which covers the period from July 1, 2003, to June 30, 2004, has been prepared by the Executive Directors of both the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) and the International Development Association (IDA) in accordance with the respective bylaws of...

Brazil has put significant resources into developing its higher education system over the past three decades. As a result, a system has evolved in which some institutions have achieved recognizable excellence in teaching and research, while, more generally, the majority of institutions have...

This report builds on the consensus developed at the August 2002 Johannesburg World Summit on Sustainable Development. It draws on the effort to achieve the Millennium Development Goals by 2015. And it looks beyond, to 2050, to envision a future that is far more prosperous and more equitable...