Education is a foundation for good jobs and the surest way out of poverty. We know a good education equips learners with important foundational skills—literacy, numeracy, and socio-emotional competencies—which are essential for work and life. These skills help today’s children become tomorrow’s productive workers and enable workers to reskill or upskill later in life.
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As the global economy continues to adapt to macroeconomic shifts, infrastructure investment remains a critical driver of job creation, long-term development opportunities and resilience. While recent interest rate hikes and inflationary pressures have reshaped return expectations and complicated financing conditions, infrastructure has stood firm as a preferred asset class. With relatively stable revenues and strong government support, infrastructure investment continues to offer investors lower risk, more predictable returns, and stronger performance than other private investment opportunities.
The World Bank’s Infrastructure Monitor 2024 presents new data and insights on how global trends are shaping private investment in infrastructure. It shows that while investment has continued to grow, especially in primary markets (i.e. greenfield and brownfield infrastructure as well as privatizations), disparities between regions and income levels are deepening. It also underscores that to close the investment gap, we must scale what works: targeted public support, sound regulation, and innovative financing instruments such as blended finance and guarantees.
Continue readingWASHINGTON, August 23, 2025— The World Bank has approved a US$ 47.9 million grant, funded by the Global Partnership for Education Fund, to help improve girls’ and boys’ participation at pre-primary and primary levels in Pakistan’s Punjab province. The new support is expected to improve learning outcomes at the primary level and strengthen remedial learning support at the elementary level of schooling.
The “Getting Results: Access and Delivery of Quality Education Services and System Transformation in Punjab Project” will expand early childhood education, re-enroll out-of-school children, strengthen teacher support, and improve the education sector’s responsiveness to climate change and emergencies.
Continue readingA good job is the safest way out of poverty. The Regional Labor Outlook report summarizes the main trends related to labor markets in Latin America and the Caribbean. Download it here.
“Credit: World Bank Group. All rights reserved”
Energy efficiency is a transformative, low-cost solution that can fast-track access to affordable and secure energy and boost economic growth. Amid soaring power demand, driven in part by air conditioners, heavy industry, and, increasingly, data centers needed to power artificial intelligence, energy efficiency can help countries avoid overspending on new energy infrastructure, importing fuels, and taking on more debt for their energy sectors.
Africa is home to the largest share of the world’s unelectrified population—an estimated half a billion people, mostly in rural areas. In recognition of the significant role of electricity in economic development, the region is poised to erase this unwelcome statistic by achieving universal access by 2030 through several national and multilateral initiatives.
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As leaders from across African governments, the private sector, civil society, and international development partners gather this week in Japan for the ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD), it’s encouraging to see health taking a prominent place on the agenda.
Continue reading“Credit: World Bank Group. All rights reserved”
WASHINGTON, D.C., August 19, 2025 – The World Bank (International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, IBRD, Aaa/AAA) today priced a USD 5 billion benchmark bond that matures in August 2035. The World Bank’s successful USD bond attracted its largest ever 10-year order book with investors around the world.
With more than 180 investor orders, the transaction attracted over USD 13 billion high-quality investor orders, primarily driven by bank treasuries, central banks/official institutions, and asset managers.
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Over the past year, I’ve seen a growing interest in, and a stronger demand for, better tools to prepare for and respond to crises. Our partners in government, the private sector, civil society, foundations, and other development organizations send us the same message time and time again: In the face of crisis, we need greater preparation and faster access to financing.
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