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January 2013

Being average is your superpower

Sandra Moscoso's picture

Last week, on my way home from work, I met a young man raising funds for a charity. He stood outside of a subway station and as part of his pitch, he asked, "if you could have any superpower, what would it be?" I offered the same answer I have been giving my children for years. "I have a superpower. It's reading." I suspect this both annoys and inspires my children. Given that annoying and inspiring are among my favorite parental duties, I rather like this answer.

What does data tell us about debt of high income and developing countries?

Rasiel Vellos's picture

Since the global financial crisis of 2008, analysis and discussion of debt has taken center stage in economic and fiscal policy, especially in high income countries. Working closely with the IMF and other partners, the World Bank maintains two quarterly databases that provide useful information on external and public sector debt of many countries.

Global economy to grow by a weak 2.4% in 2013

World Bank Data Team's picture

The new Global Economic Prospects (GEP) report has been released. According to the report, developing countries growth in 2013 is expected to be robust at more than 5.5 percent, but 1-2 percentage points below what it was during the pre-crisis period. To regain those growth rates, developing countries will have to look within, by undertaking through productivity-enhancing investments in infrastructure, health and education.

Update of World Development Indicators database

World Bank Data Team's picture

The World Development Indicators (WDI) database has been updated. This update features new external debt data from the newly-released International Debt Statistics publication, as well as updated energy, emissions, freshwater, poverty, immunization, tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS series, and revised national accounts, PPP extrapolated, balance of payments, monetary and government finance indicators, and education statistics.