Sangay Choden, in her own words, displayed much Tha Dhantse—a Bhutanese concept of having the courage to do the right thing with integrity and loyalty. Choden was the first female science graduate in her family and now handles complex power projects with ease as the manager with the Bhutan Power Corporation Limited. She has climbed mountains, both literally and metaphorically, she says.
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Every year, the world produces over two billion tonnes of municipal waste, a figure expected to rise by 73 percent to nearly four billion tonnes by 2050. Managing this surge will be a major investment and policy challenge for cities in low- and middle-income countries.
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A common misunderstanding persists about job creation in Africa. Many envision cities as the epicenters of economic opportunity. Yet for millions in Sub-Saharan Africa, the path to decent work still winds through agriculture. With youth unemployment rising and cities unable to absorb the growing labor force, agriculture—still the region’s largest employer—must be transformed into a more productive, appealing, and innovative sector.
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When African Heads of State, government representatives, private sector leaders, development partners, and civil society participants gathered in Tanzania for the Mission 300 Africa Energy Summit, they did so against the backdrop of a continent that has seen off-grid solar solutions revolutionize energy access—with remarkable progress made and significant potential yet to be tapped.
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Today, more people have access to social protection than at any point in history. Over the last decade, 4.7 billion people across low- and middle-income countries gained access to social protection. However, critical gaps remain. Two billion people in those countries remain uncovered or inadequately covered by social protection.
The State of Social Protection Report 2025: The 2-Billion-Person Challenge documents advances and challenges to strengthening social protection and labor systems across low- and middle-income countries and discusses avenues to gradually close the coverage and adequacy gap for the world’s poorest.
Social protection is the set of public measures that protect individuals and families against economic and social distress, with the aim of ensuring a minimum level of wellbeing for all. The three pillars of social protection—social assistance, social insurance, and labor market programs—support households and workers in handling crises, escaping poverty, facing transitions, and seizing employment opportunities. Well-designed social protection programs have a high return on investment, support long-term human capital and economic growth, and help people become more self-reliant. For every dollar transferred to poor families, there is an estimated multiplier effect of $2.50 in the local economy.
Examples of social protection programs include: safety nets and cash transfers, pensions, skills development.
Social protection and labor programs support more people than ever. Over the past decade, low- and middle-income countries have expanded social protection to cover a record number of 4.7 billion people, a historic high. Coverage has increased by 10 percentage points – from 41% to 51% of the population between 2010 and 2022, with significant gains among the poor in low income countries.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, emergency social protection responses reached 1.7 billion people in developing countries, demonstrating the importance of shock-responsive systems. Countries with robust delivery infrastructure prior to the pandemic responded more effectively, emphasizing the need for proactive investment.
Today, 2 billion people in low- and middle-income countries remain uncovered or inadequately covered by social protection, including over 1 billion people in Africa and South Asia alone.
Three out of four people in low-income countries receive no form of social protection, and even in lower-middle-income countries, more than half of the population remains uncovered.
At current growth rates, it will take 18 years to achieve full coverage for those living in extreme poverty and 20 years to cover the poorest 20% of households in low- and middle-income countries.
For about 400 million people social protection benefits are so meager that they may not help recipients escape poverty or cushion the blow of unexpected shocks. In low income countries, social assistance transfers represent just 11% of the income of poor households.
Today, gender disparities persist with women receiving 81 cents for every $1 received by men on social protection benefits, on average, across a sample of 27 countries.
Unreached populations are disproportionately concentrated in fragile, conflict-affected, and hunger-prone regions of Africa, South Asia, and the Middle East.
Social services and labor programs – such as public works, unemployment insurance, and job placement services – can greatly improve job opportunities and incomes for the poor. They can help the poor become more productive and prepare them with the right skills. Their impact, however, is often limited by low funding and designs that don’t account for local circumstances. Currently, spending on labor market programs is only 0.25% of GDP on average.
To accelerate progress, governments can take three policy actions, tailored to each country’s context, capacity, and fiscal restraints:
To help fund these recommendations, the report notes that using existing resources more efficiently could make a big difference. For instance, redirecting cash transfers to benefit the poor could supply nearly half of the funding required to cover the bottom 20 percent of the population with social protection.
The World Bank is committed to scaling up social protection programs, working with governments and partners, to reach 500 million more people, half of them women, by 2030.
Prithwi Kalyan Parajuli, a management graduate in his early twenties from Pokhara, Nepal used to dream of becoming a successful enterprenuer.
He saw a business opportunity in expanding the nutrition and consumer base of Satu, a flour made of roasted food grains and traditionally a nutritious diet for children and elderlies in Nepali households.
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The number five is often seen as a symbol of balance, progress, and transformation—much like the steady progress the World Bank Group has made since it set up an Outcomes Department five months ago. This new department seeks to elevate the way we measure our impact, strengthening our accountability for results. Just as five fingers help us build and create and the five senses allow us to experience the world around us, the department has worked to lay a strong foundation for the future.
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APRIL 21-26, 2025
Global leaders, government officials, civil society representatives, and industry pioneers come together to shape the future of international cooperation. Join us online from April 21st to 26th for live updates from the Meetings in Washington D.C.
Starting April 21, join us virtually from Washington for exclusive interviews, behind-the-scenes moments from the Meetings, and a deep dive into the latest data, research, and innovative solutions to today’s biggest development challenges. Don’t miss this unique opportunity to gain real-time insights from changemakers and thought leaders tackling global issues in a rapidly evolving world.
Netherlands for the World Bank 
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