A large literature documents the positive influence of a city's skill structure on its rate of economic growth. By contrast, the effect of a city's age structure on its economic growth has been a hitherto largely neglected area of research. This paper hypothesizes that cities with more...

The recent global diffusion of new technologies, combined with the use of big data analytics, can help policymakers promote the effective development of future cities that provide living and work environments in which citizens can thrive. In particular, innovative applications of geospatial and...

Global financial conditions have improved substantially since July 2012, a reflection of the cumulative steps taken by high-income countries' central banks. Gross capital flows to developing countries, which weakened in mid-2012 due to Euro area turmoil, bounced back in the second half of the...

External financing conditions for developing countries have been remarkably favorable in recent months, reflecting expectations of a more drawn-out period of monetary policy accommodation in high-income countries and some narrowing of external vulnerabilities. Additional easing by the European...

Global financial markets were largely stable during the past year, not with-standing the recent uptick in volatility amid uncertainty over the timing of an eventual tapering off of quantitative easing. Improved financial conditions are reflected in a strong rebound in gross capital flows...

This is a companion to the Global Economic Prospects 2010. Most commodity prices reached historical highs in mid-2008, giving rise to the longest and broadest commodity boom of the post-WWII period. Apart from strong and sustained economic growth, the boom was fueled by numerous factors...

In low- and middle-income countries, scaling essential health interventions to achieve health development targets is constrained by the lack of skilled health professionals to deliver services. This paper takes a labor market approach to project future health workforce demand based on an...

Using a cross-section of more than 29,000 manufacturing firms in 64 developing and emerging countries from the World Bank's Enterprise Surveys, this paper assesses whether trading firms have a female labor share premium relative to non-trading firms. It focuses on four types of trading firms:...

Institutions are defined as the set of rules that govern human interactions. When these rules are discriminatory, they may disempower segments of a population in the economic spheres of activity. This study explores whether laws that discriminate against women influence their engagement in the...

Using firm-level data covering 709 cities in 128 countries, this paper examines the role of a comprehensive list of business environment variables at the subnational level in explaining firm employment and productivity growth. The analysis finds basic protection, access to finance and...