Background: Gold mining is a critical part of the industry of Central Asia, contributing significantly to regional economic growth. However, gold production management faces numerous challenges, including adopting innovative technologies such as AI, using improved logistical equipment, resolving...

Central Asia has emerged as a key region where the convergence of geopolitics and development cooperation is most visible. Major powers are redefining their approaches: Japan combines official development assistance (ODA) with commercial partnerships to advance connectivity and reform; the EU is...

Central Asia has emerged as a key region where the convergence of geopolitics and development cooperation is most visible. Major powers are redefining their approaches: Japan combines official development assistance (ODA) with commercial partnerships to advance connectivity and reform; the EU is...

Digital skills are becoming increasingly more important in the labor market as demand for them is increasing in all sectors. This paper explores the determinants of digital skill acquisition and estimates the impact of digital skills on wages in developing countries by using the latest round of...

This study examines the adoption of cotton combine services and its impact on farm technical efficiency in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. The research aims to determine whether mechanisation influences productivity and economic output at the farm level. Using farm-level data from 511 cotton growers...

Unprecedented climate change, socio-economic shocks, and political conflict exacerbate food insecurity. Worsened conditions and increased vulnerability now give prominence to improving farm resilience to withstand shocks. This article aims to analyse the effect of farm resilience on food...

This report takes stock of gender equality in ECA, with a particular focus on women’s access to economic opportunities and jobs, alongside the urgent challenge of VAWG. It highlights the World Bank Group–supported initiatives across the region, illustrating both the range of solutions being...

The findings in this study are novel and relevant for defining human capital as a factor in e-government development. The main objective of this working paper is to contribute to the consolidation of the understanding of the relationship between digital literacy and e-Governance. The study...

Political tensions over water management in the Central Asia region have intensified since the Soviet era, as ecological issues like the drying Aral Sea and seasonal hydropower disruptions impact downstream countries. The paper discusses the region’s water governance challenges, including...

Extension services start to emerge in recent years but their impact on the production efficiency of women farmers is not empirically assessed in Central Asia. This paper investigates the role of extension services in improving female farmers’ technical efficiency scores while analyzing the...

In contrast to most Central, Eastern and Southeastern European (CESEE) economies, Central Asia (CA) - comprising Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan - has witnessed quite robust demographic as well as economic growth in the period from 2019 to 2024. This period was...

Environmental issues adversely impact air quality, biodiversity, and socio-economic conditions in Central Asia. This paper utilizes the Life in Transition dataset to analyse climate change awareness and willingness to mitigate among populations from Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan,...

Kazakhstan represents one of the largest economies in the Central Asian region. Over recent years, Kazakhstan has experienced a rise in temperature and pollution levels due to its overreliance on fossil fuels in energy industries. The rise in temperature and pollution levels has contributed to...

We examined whether perceived land rights—use, management, transfer, and tenure security—are associated with investment in movable farm assets. Using micro-level data from crop-specialized farmers in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, we distinguish investment incentives linked to tenure security,...

This study investigates factors influencing household cooling choices in Central Asia, focusing on air-conditioning and fans/sunscreen films. Using data from the 2023 "Household Access to Energy in the Fergana Valley" survey in the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, the analysis...

Low-carbon energy transition, which includes the replacement of fossil fuels with low-carbon energy infrastructure, the removal of subsidies, and other measures, requires households to be able to pay for low-carbon energy services. Economic shocks such as the coronavirus disease pandemic and...

The development of appropriate climate change makes people perceive it in a certain way, and is critical to formulating appropriate environmental policies and environmental education campaigns. In this article, the authors discuss the perception of climate change in four Central Asian countries...

As countries rapidly urbanize, settlements are expanding into hazardous flood zones. This analysis considers spatial urbanization patterns and the evolution of flood exposure between 1985 and 2020 in 55 countries in the Europe and Central Asia region. The evidence in this report suggests that...

This working paper explores strategies and interventions that LTC systems in ECA could adopt to strengthen the climate resilience of people with functional limitations and their caregivers. After a short section on methodology and conceptual framing, the paper introduces the IPCC climate risk...

Economic growth in Europe and Central Asia eased to 2.4 percent in 2025, reflecting a sharp slowdown in the Russian Federation. Outside Russia, growth momentum remains broadly resilient, supported by private consumption, infrastructure spending, and a gradual recovery in trade. While a modest...

Europe and Central Asia (ECA) is at a turning point. After a period of convergence and reform-driven growth during the first decade of the 2000s, the region's productivity engine has lost momentum. Total factor productivity growth has halved since the global financial crisis, and the gains from...

Ensuring effective governance of local budgets is critical for public service delivery and sustainable development. Public audit institutions-including internal auditors and independent supreme audit bodies-are hypothesized to enhance local budget effectiveness by promoting transparency,...

Growth is projected to rise in the Middle East and North Africa in 2025 and 2026, but at a slower pace than anticipated in the October 2024 REO. Across the region, rising trade tensions and policy uncertainty are adding to the impact of conflicts and extended oil production cuts to weaken growth...

Climate education and youth entrepreneurship are pathways for young people to become agents of change in their communities in response to the environmental challenges of today, particularly climate change. This report provides recommendations on developing climate education and youth...

This study investigates factors influencing household cooling choices in Central Asia, focusing on air-conditioning and fans/sunscreen films. Using data from the 2023 "Household Access to Energy in the Fergana Valley" survey in the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, the analysis...

Extreme heat is becoming one of the most lethal and underestimated threats to cities in Europe and Central Asia, exacerbating health risks, undermining productivity, and pushing infrastructure to its limits. This report presents new analysis showing that without urgent adaptation, heat-related...

This paper explores how the health-related component of human capital affects economic performance in all five Central Asian countries. In particular, it analyzes the impact of life expectancy on overall GDP and output per worker, which characterizes labor productivity. The time frame includes...

This policy brief examines the strategic importance of the South Caucasus and its pivotal role in the European Union's evolving engagement with Central Asia. The regional landscape, however, remains highly volatile. Russia's aggression in Ukraine has had direct and indirect repercussions for the...

This edition of the Macro Poverty Outlooks periodical contains country-by-country forecasts and overviews for GDP, fiscal, debt and poverty indicators for the developing countries of Europe and Central Asia. Macroeconomic indicators such as population, gross domestic product and gross domestic...

This report aims to enhance the understanding of the priorities, needs, and solutions for improving air quality (AQ) in Central Asia (CA) through local action and regional collaboration. It focuses on key components of holistic air quality management (AQM): evidence-based analytics to identify...

The failure of newly independent Central Asian countries to diversify exports after the Soviet Union's collapse is attributed to high trade costs, either because these countries are landlocked or due to border delays and regulatory obstacles. This paper estimates the impact of the high costs of...

This study examines the effects of at-the-border and behind-the-border measures on the intraregional perishable goods trade in the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation region by combining trade facilitation indicators at the bilateral product level with an extensive dataset of nontariff...

During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, mobility restrictions had a significant impact on trade times and costs at the borders, particularly in landlocked developing countries. This paper examines the effect of COVID-19 mobility measures on the time required for cargo to clear...

This paper identifies existing labour market challenges associated with ageing in Europe and Central Asia. It presents a general overview and provides ideas to stimulate social dialogue. In 2024, there were 28 persons aged 65 years and above per 100 persons aged 15 to 64 years and this ratio is...