Post-pandemic, cities face new challenges in adapting to global changes, while also addressing the needs, practices, and capabilities of diverse populations. Resilience, as a key factor, enables cities to adapt and transform in response to these challenges. Development driven by resilience is...

The shadow economy, which can be defined as undeclared economic activities carried out in secret from public authorities,, and that cause negativities such as tax losses outside of official economic activities, has become a part of the economic activities of both developed and devel-oping...

Despite global advances, the digital transformation of public services in developing countries often fails to meet its objectives. This study argues that a primary reason for this is an overemphasis on technological solutions and a neglect of the broader institutional context. Through a...

Development finance institutions mobilize over $250 billion annually through blended finance operations, yet practitioners lack a unified framework to evaluate its catalytic effect and for choosing among instruments. I develop a model of investment multipliers under two canonical market...

The goal of inclusive development places financial inclusion at the forefront of sovereign development policies, particularly in economies that are investing in digital technologies. Despite the world's progression towards technology, there is minimal empirical evidence of how efficient these...

Financial technology (FT) has been credited for supporting sustainable development and financial inclusion. However, issues such as balancing innovation with consumer protection and the challenges of loan default have emerged as significant concerns in this context. The study aimed to test the...

Using Stochastic Frontier Analysis, this paper updates, for 123 countries, the estimates of tax capacity-defined as the maximum level of revenue a country can feasibly achieve - and tax effort - measured as the ratio of actual tax revenue to tax capacity. It also introduces two novel models that...

E-government adoption rates in emerging economies remain persistently low despite substantial infrastructure investments. Understanding adoption drivers requires synthesizing fragmented empirical evidence on technology acceptance and service quality factors across diverse contexts. Purpose: This...

This paper examines the effect of women’s political empowerment on public spending efficiency in developing countries. Using a large panel of 126 developing countries over 1995–2021, the paper constructs public spending efficiency scores based on Stochastic Frontier Analysis, capturing...

This paper presents a dataset and an analytical framework to study the welfare effects of tariff changes on women. The data is an extension of the Household Impacts of Tariffs (HIT) dataset, which contains harmonized household survey data for 54 low and lower middle-income countries. It includes...

In developing countries, women live longer than ever and make up the majority of older people. Many play central roles in their families and communities well into advanced ages, both as income earners and as unpaid carers of grandchildren, spouses, and even their own parents. Older women’s...

This note serves as a foundational resource for exploring the dynamics and potential of addressing urban challenges in low- and middle-income countries (L&MICs) through rooftop solar PV adoption. It outlines the critical decision-making factors necessary for understanding the contexts in which...

This report builds on the analytical framework first developed in a 2023 World Bank publication. While the earlier study focused on passenger vehicle electrification across 20 countries through 2030, the analysis in the present report expands to both passenger and freight vehicles and extends...

Amidst slower global growth, a shifting labor market, and rising protectionism, governments around the world are increasingly turning to a once controversial policy. Industrial policy—the range of policy tools governments use to shape what an economy produces, rather than leaving it to markets...

The influence of political stability on financial crime remains a subject of ongoing debate. While stability is often associated with policy continuity, regulatory credibility, and more effective enforcement, an alternative view suggests that unstable democracies may outperform stable...

Administrative strategies are essential for ensuring efficiency and effectiveness in public institutions, particularly in the context of low- and middle-income countries where governance challenges and resource constraints persist. This study analyzes the relationship between organizational...

This paper critically reviews the role of good governance in advancing sustainable development in developing countries. Framed around the themes of fields, failures, and future, it synthesizes theoretical and empirical research on governance across key domains such as education, healthcare,...

Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) have revolutionized treatment in oncology, autoimmune disorders, and infectious diseases due to their high specificity and efficacy. However, access to mAbs in developing countries remains severely limited due to high costs, market concentration in high-income...

In the context of rural sustainability and poverty alleviation within the developing world, a key dilemma facing the international community is to identify suitable strategies and mechanisms to bring multiple stakeholders together to work in efficient and sustainable ways. This paper focuses on...

This paper examines the impact of public debt servicing on private investment in Egypt within the debt overhang hypothesis. While existing research largely focuses on the debt-growth relationship, limited attention has been given to how debt servicing burdens affect private capital formation....

In recent years, the topic of green transitions has attracted considerable attention. Notably, these transitions are often framed as a skills issue, reflecting perceived gaps in the technical skills required for green technologies. Moreover, skills are frequently presented as central to ensuring...

Climate change disproportionately threatens low- and middle-income countries, yet integrated assessments combining socio-economic fragility with physical hazards remain limited. This study quantifies multi-dimensional climate vulnerability and derives optimized adaptation policies for six...

Taxes and public spending underpin the basic administration of government and finance the human capital and infrastructure investments needed for economic growth. They can also have a significant and immediate impact on poverty and inequality. The question of how public finance can support...

The goal of universal health coverage (UHC) is for all people to receive the quality health services they need, when and where they need them, without incurring financial hardship. UHC covers the full continuum of essential health services, from health promotion to disease prevention, treatment,...

Across low- and middle-income countries, tourism is increasingly seen as a powerful driver for economic growth, job creation, and the protection of cultural and environmental assets. This report shares key lessons learned from the past 10 years of World Bank knowledge and operational work in...

The International Development Association (IDA) is the largest source of long-term concessional financing for the world’s poorest countries. Since 1960, IDA has delivered more than US$600 billion in grants and credits at low interest rates with long-term maturities, helping client countries...

Zambia, an economy heavily reliant on hydropower for electricity, has faced sustained disruptions to electricity generation amid increasingly frequent and severe droughts. These drought-related disruptions have caused large GDP losses in recent years and have tilted electricity generation...

We estimate the long-run effects of marginal admission to elite public high schools on students' labor supply in the context of Mexico City's centralized high school admission system. Using a regression discontinuity approach, we compare students whose placement exam scores are just above and...

This paper examines whether the success of prior aid projects affects the performance of subsequent ones based on a study of World Bank projects in Africa. While existing research has shown that aid effectiveness depends on macroeconomic conditions, institutional quality, and managerial...

Modifying food from its raw state for convenience, durability, or palatability is a standard process that can range from fermentation to 3D-printed foods. The overall activity is typically referred to as "food processing". Moderately or minimally processed foods, which retain most of their raw...