Globally, 56 percent of children live in countries with Human Capital Index (HCI) scores below 0.5. As these countries gear up to improve their human capital outcomes, it is vital to set a target…

Zelalem Yilma Debebe |

The Asia-Pacific region, comprised of 58 economies, is geographically expansive and a picture of diversity. The trends for sustainable energy in Asia-Pacific, which mirror the region’s economic…

Sharmila Bellur |

Mongolian    Mother and son in front of their family ger. (Photo: Khasar Sandag / World Bank) International Children’s Day is celebrated in Mongolia as an official holiday. I could see that it…

Rabia Ali, Pagma Genden |

In the last three decades, East Asia has reaped the demographic dividend. An abundant and growing labor force powered almost one-third of the region’s per capita income growth from the 1960s to…

Axel van Trotsenburg |

Students using new high-speed Internet in Tonga. Photo: World Bank Group For private financiers, official government support to information and communications technology (ICT) projects might seem…

Jeff Delmon |

Mongolia’s current economic situation is characterized by a combination of falling commodity prices and slowing growth. This heightens the need for the country’s social welfare system to protect…

Junko Onishi |

Co-authored with Cheryl Cashin, Senior Program Director, Results for Development   In the early 1990s, after 70 years of a socialist system, Mongolia transitioned to a market economy and embarked…

Aparnaa Somanathan |

  When we think of urban expansion in the 21st century, we often think of ‘sprawl’, a term that calls to mind low-density, car-oriented suburban growth, perhaps made up of single-family homes.…

Chandan Deuskar |

Every minute, dozens of people in East Asia move from the countryside to the city. The massive population shift is creating some of the world’s biggest mega-cities including Tokyo, Shanghai,…

Axel van Trotsenburg |