Updated country income classifications for the World Bank’s 2019 fiscal year are available here.
The World Bank assigns the world’s economies into four income groups — high, upper-middle, lower-middle, and low. We base this assignment on GNI per capita calculated using the Atlas method. The units for this measure and for the thresholds is current US Dollars.
Disaster losses disproportionately affect poor people
, according to the 2017 “Unbreakable” report. The Caribbean Hurricane season of 2017 was a tragic illustration of this.
Not one, but two Category 5 hurricanes wreaked destruction on numerous small islands, causing severe damages on islands like Barbuda, Dominica, and Saint Martin. The human cost of these disasters was immense, and the impact of this devastation was felt most strongly by poorer communities in the path of the storms.
Mary Banda in Zambia runs a small restaurant in one of Lusaka’s oldest markets. Before she learned that financial services could make the way she did business easier, her profits were low. But today, her profits have increased, both because she banks her money and because she uses mobile money transfer services.
Using financial services has simplified managing her business and increased profits. And business proceeds now pay her children’s school fees.
It is impossible these days to drive around the cities of Gabon without noticing the large billboards promoting internet access at rates that were unimaginable only a few years ago.
This is a wonderful development for Alphonse, a young, 34-year old public-sector professional. WhatsApp, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram are all applications that this ultra-connected young man uses on his telephone for both work and pleasure.
One of the encouraging signs that I pick up whenever I travel is the difference that technology is making to the lives of millions of marginalized people. In most cases it’s happening on a small, non-flashy scale in hundreds of different ways, quietly improving the opportunities that that have been denied to remote communities, women and young people for getting a foot on the ladder.
And because it is discreet and under the radar I dare as an optimist to suggest that we are at the beginning of something big – a slow tsunami of success. Let me give you some reasons why I believe this.
It is probably fair to say that the World Bank’s latest report on intergenerational mobility – Fair Progress? Economic Mobility across Generations around the World – is the first-ever attempt to paint a truly global picture of how achievement – or the lack thereof – is transmitted across generations. Though there are results for income mobility for a subset of countries, most of the analysis focuses on educational attainment across 148 economies, representing over 95% of the world’s population.
Deadline: 02-Jul-2018 at 11:59:59 PM (Eastern Time – Washington D.C.) 
IFC has been retained as lead transaction advisor by the Government of Uzbekistan to procure the development, construction and operation and maintenance of 100MW of utility scale solar PV power on a PPP basis under the Scaling Solar Program (the Project). As such, IFC is procuring a technical, environmental and social (E&S) consulting firm (or consortium) to advise on the Project. The assignment will be split in to several phases and is expected to include: Evaluation of a potential site (or sites); review of grid code and development of the PPA technical limits schedule; detailed site studies for selected site, including ground investigations, grid integration studies and E&S scoping in line with IFC Performance Standards; and support to the tender process (e.g. tailoring of technical specs, bid evaluation). Engineering firms should consider partnering with E&S firms to strengthen their E&S offering. Use of local partners for ground investigations and local E&S expertise is also recommended.
When the door closed behind her, Maria’s world seemed to collapse. The mother of a girl and two boys had just learned that her eldest son, the teenager who became the pillar of the family after their father died, was not only in a deep depression and increasingly using alcohol but he was gay. She had noticed him becoming moodier and even heard he received a warning at his job for not showing up, something totally unlike him at all. She felt helpless but knew his depression had to stay hidden from the rest of the family and the neighbors as mental health problems brought with them social stigma. But she was most afraid someone would find out he was gay, causing the family to be ostracized and endangering the future of the other children.
An increase of nearly 30 per cent on the previous year, boosting projects that help developing countries cut emissions and address climate risks.
WASHINGTON, June 13, 2018 – Climate financing by the world’s six largest multilateral development banks (MDBs) rose to a seven-year high of $35.2 billion in 2017, up 28 per cent on the previous year.
Netherlands for the World Bank 
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