In the early 1990s, there was a near complete overlap between poor people and poor countries, with more than 9 out of 10 of the world’s extreme poor living in low-income countries at the time.

Helping beneficiary households better cope with adverse life events is one of the main assurances of social protection programs.

This blog is a biweekly feature highlighting recent working papers from around the World Bank Group that were published in the World Bank’s Policy Research Working Paper Series. This entry…

The global use of mobile phones generates a vast amount of data, which can be used effectively and responsibly for development work and emergency response.

Coal prices have been retreating from their highs in 2022 but they remain well above the 2017-2021 average. Global coal consumption levels reached an all-time high in 2022, led by India and China…

The 21st century has seen an evolution in the way we manage disaster risk and how governments are paying the disaster bill. We know that disasters hinder development and that when disasters strike…

Three years ago, I had the chance to work for the Yakin Water Tower Project, an NGO that aimed to provide a water tower to help the lives of 1,600 people, in Yakin, located in the South Center of…

In advance of the next meeting of the Sovereign Debt Roundtable on April 12, I want to provide a quick update on recent developments and reiterate my call for prompt action toward debt…

A World Bank study confirms the unequal impacts of COVID-19 in terms of the labor market, household income, food security and school attendance, with the most vulnerable households and those with…

A recent visit across Burundi’s lush, green landscapes masks a moving story of loss, and what it will take to reduce climate drivers of fragility for the world’s most vulnerable. Women in Burundi’…