World Bank Group

The effects of air pollution in Vietnam. © Flore de Preneuf/World Bank

ENVIRONMENT

Air pollution is now the fourth-leading risk factor for deaths worldwide. While pollution-related deaths mainly strike children and the elderly, these deaths also result in lost labor income across society. Read More »

LITERACY

Raising Reading Scores in Cambodia

Happy International Literacy Day! Take a look at this slideshow illustrating how Cambodia improved its reading results.

Johann Haltermann chemical manufacturing plant.© Roy Luck

COMPETITIVENESS

Does Big Industry Help or Hurt our Climate?

One of today’s biggest climate challenges is making industries greener while helping them remain globally competitive.

What's New

Release

Egypt: $1 Billion for Inclusive Growth Program

Release

World Bank Group, New Development Bank Lay Groundwork for Cooperation

Article

Brazil: Productivity Key to Fighting Poverty

Article

Afghanistan: Enterprises Expand with Market Support

Article

Saving the Home of Stevia and Yerba Mate

Release

World Bank and China Scale Up Support for Africa

Blogs

Building on Six Decades of Partnership toward a Promising Future

Annette Dixon

READ this: Why we must measure literacy at an early age

Harry A. Patrinos

Why ending violence is a development imperative

Ede Ijjasz-Vasquez

The economic and social consequences of robotization

Harm Bandholz

IEG Independent Evaluation Group »

DATA

In 1970, four in 10 adults were illiterate. Today that figure is less than two in 10. In every region of the world, literacy has improved, and literacy rates among youth aged 15-24 are higher than adults over 15, especially in South Asia, Sub Saharan Africa, and the Middle East.
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More Data »