Publication

This policy note was prepared in parallel to the report Pakistan at hundred, Shaping the Future. The report Pakistan at the rate hundred discusses options to accelerate and sustain growth in Pakistan so that the country becomes an upper middle-income country when it turns hundred years old in 2047. This policy note discusses Pakistan’s greatest asset- its large population, requiring more and better investment to become a demographic dividend that supports growth for decades to come.

This policy note was prepared in parallel to the report Pakistan at hundred – Shaping the Future. The report Pakistan at hundred discusses options to accelerate and sustain growth in Pakistan so that the country becomes an upper middle-income country when it turns hundred years old in 2047. This policy note discusses inequality of opportunities women face in Pakistan. Excluding women from the labor force means that a large share of Pakistan’s greatest asset, its population, is being wasted.

The Roma are the largest ethnic minority in Europe, as well as one of the most deprived and socially excluded groups. Because of the lack of high-quality data, research on Roma inclusion to inform evidence-based policies is scarce, and accurate data on programs implemented in the Western Balkans are needed.

The Women Economic Empowerment report outlines the factors contributing to the persistently low economic participation of Egyptian women and to identify "gender smart" policies and solutions to boost economic growth while at the same time, narrowing relevant gender gaps. The study provides the context of women's share of the public space as reflected in their access to education, health, social protection, and decent work opportunities.

This study documents the results of a pilot study designed to measure the quality of teacher practices using the classroom observation tool TEACH in a selection of 45 public primary schools (73 percent rural and 27 percent urban) in Mindanao, a province of the Philippines. Teachers in Mindanao are relatively skilled at creating a supportive learning environment and maximizing opportunities to learn, though they are less effective at setting positive behavioral expectations.

A government's provision of complementary public goods, such as roads and bridges, facilitates the development of markets leading to long-term economic growth. Private enterprise, by itself, is unlikely to provide such public works. Likewise, a government's investment in social infrastructure, such as education and health, is critical, particularly for conflict-ridden populations deprived of adequate services. Furthermore, scaling-up public investment is central to development, especially in in FCV contexts, which are often left with rudimentary or badly-damaged infrastructure.

The Malaysia Economic Monitor consists of two parts. Part 1 presents a review of recent economic developments and a macroeconomic outlook. Part 2 focuses on a selected special topic that is key to Malaysia’s medium-term development prospects. In this edition, the focus of the special topic is on realizing human potential.

South Africa's much anticipated economic rebound in 2018 did not occur. While substantial efforts by the authorities to strengthen governance of public resources and stabilize the fiscal situation helped the economy to not contract further, economic growth remained tepid with a technical recession (two successive quarters of negative economic growth) in the first half of 2018. GDP growth is expected at below 1 percent in 2018, down from an already low 1.3 percent in 2017. A number of exogenous factors contributed to this poor growth performance.

In its Vision 2040, Uganda recognizes that transforming Ugandan society from a peasant to a modern and prosperous country, will depend on the country’s capacity to strengthen, inter alia, its human resources, particularly among young Ugandans preparing to enter the labour force for the first time. However, in order to exploit this potential, the younger generations need to be equipped with globally competitive skills, relevant knowledge and positive attitudes.

In response to the overwhelming evidence of impact, unmet need and growing demand, the World Bank is working closely with our clients to increase investments in quality early childhood education (ECE). Investing in ECE can help countries to improve children’s cognitive and socio emotional skills, reduce repetition and drop-out rates and increase system efficiency, promote equality and build the skilled workforce needed for the 21st century and beyond.