Over the past decade, countries have invested heavily in modern payment systems. Fast payment systems are now widely available, even in many low- and middle-income countries. In many emerging markets, most adults own a debit card, a wallet or transaction account. On paper, the digital rails are in place.
Continue readingWhen people talk about AI in education, they usually mean AI in classrooms: devices, chatbots, adaptive platforms. The conversation quickly stalls because many schools in low- and middle-income countries lack the infrastructure. So, AI becomes something for well-resourced systems, and everyone else waits.
Continue reading“Credit: World Bank Group. All rights reserved”
Imagine you are chatting with an entrepreneur who is eager to grow their business — confident, well-prepared, numbers in hand. The idea is solid, the plan convincing. You think about product-market fit, weigh operational risks, and start forming an impression of the venture.
Now pause for a moment. Would your view of the business change if the person pitching it were a man — or a woman?
Continue readingWASHINGTON, February 26, 2026 – Millions of young people across Eastern and Southern Africa stand to gain skills they need to thrive through a new regional program that is designed to support job creation at scale. By 2034, 18 million young people in the region are expected to receive better education and skills, unlocking opportunities in key economic sectors through the program that will also contribute to millions of new jobs.
Continue readingTUNIS, March 4, 2026 — The World Bank and the Government of Tunisia are expanding their partnership to strengthen the country’s resilience to climate and disaster risks through an additional financing for the US$ 125 million Tunisia Integrated Disaster Resilience Program (ResCat). The additional US$50 million will extend urban flood protection to three highly flood prone regions – Western Tunis, Gabès, and Djerba – building on experience from the cities of Bizerte, Monastir, and Nabeul covered under the initial Program. This scale-up comes as Tunisia continues to face significant flood risks, further exacerbated by climate change, as highlighted by the severe flooding in January 2026, which brought the heaviest rainfall in more than 70 years and widespread disruption across several regions.
Continue readingWashington D.C., February 24, 2026—The World Bank Group has launched a new insurance-backed facility to expand lending to small and medium-sized businesses in emerging markets, supporting job creation and private sector growth.
Under the facility, participating insurers share credit risk on a portion of eligible loans made by IFC, the World Bank Group’s private sector arm, freeing up capital so IFC can lend more to commercial banks and other financial institutions. The facility allows IFC to mobilize private credit insurance and expand access to finance for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), which make up over 90 percent of all firms and account for around 70 percent of total employment.
Continue readingKYIV, Ukraine, February 23, 2026—Four years into Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, an updated joint Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment (RDNA5) released today by the Government of Ukraine, the World Bank Group, the European Commission, and the United Nations currently estimates that as of 31 December 2025, the total cost of reconstruction and recovery in Ukraine is almost $588 billion (over €500 billion) over the next decade, which is nearly 3 times the estimated nominal GDP of Ukraine for 2025.
Continue reading“Credit: World Bank Group. All rights reserved”
Netherlands for the World Bank 