In a changing world, how can we be sure that women as well as men entrepreneurs and workers obtain the benefit from these changes? Ensuring that women have the same legal opportunities as men is one part of the picture. By measuring where the law treats men and women differently, Women, Business and the Law shines a light on how women's incentives or capacity to work are affected by the legal environment and provides a basis for improving regulation. The fourth edition in a series, Women, Business and the Law 2016: Getting to Equal examines laws and regulations affecting women's prospects as...

International Debt Statistics (IDS) 2016 (formerly Global Development Finance) provides statistical tables showing the external debt of 125 developing countries that report public and publicly guaranteed external debt to the World Bank's Debtor Reporting System (DRS). It also includes tables of key debt ratios for individual reporting countries and the composition of external debt stocks and flows for individual reporting countries and regional and income groups, along with some graphical presentations. IDS 2016 draws on a database maintained by the World Bank External Debt (WBXD) system....

Public procurement accounts for around one-fifth of global gross domestic product (GDP). Given its size the public procurement market can improve public sector performance, promote national competitiveness, drive domestic economic growth, and boost economic development. Launched at the request of the G20 Anti-Corruption Working Group, Benchmarking Public Procurement presents actionable indicators to help countries identify and monitor policies and regulations that impact how private sector companies do business with the government in 77 economies. The Benchmarking Public Procurement 2016...

This is the World Bank's premier annual compilation of data about development. Compiled from officially-recognised international sources, WDI presents the most current and accurate global development data available, including national, regional and global estimates.

Provides a tool for policymakers to identify and analyse legal barriers for the business of agriculture and to quantify transaction costs of dealing with government regulations.

The Little Data Book 2016 is a pocket edition of World Development Indicators 2015. It is intended as a quick reference for users of the World Development Indicators database, book, and mobile app. The database covers more than 1,200 indicators and spans more than 50 years. The 214 country tables present the latest available data for World Bank member countries and other economies with populations of more than 30,000. The 14 summary tables cover regional and income group aggregates.

Thirty years of economic renovation reforms have catapulted Vietnam from the ranks of the world s poorest countries to one of its great development success stories. Critical ingredients have been visionary leaders, a sense of shared societal purpose, and a focus on the future. Starting in the late 1980s, these elements were successfully fused with the embrace of markets and the global economy. Economic growth since then has been rapid, stable, and inclusive, translating into strong welfare gains for the vast majority of the population. But three decades of success from reforms raises...

Global growth prospects have deteriorated in 2016. Emerging market and developing economies are facing increased external headwinds, including softer growth in advanced economies. Commodity exporters are struggling with particularly challenging conditions, while commodity importers are thus far showing greater resilience. Global growth is expected to gradually accelerate in 2017-18 but risks to the outlook are increasingly more pronounced. In addition to discussing global and regional economic developments and prospects, this edition of Global Economic Prospects includes two Special Focus...

This report updates previous studies that measured in economic terms the extent of biological losses attributable to overfishing globally. The new estimates assess these 'sunken billions' at $83 billion annually. The report further shows that a clear path can lead to the recovery of these considerable losses, including through significant reduction in global fishing overcapacity. A breakdown between regions is also included, showing that the effort needed to achieve this reform will not be felt equally throughout the world. While the cost of such reform will likely be high, the expected...

The Little Data Book on Private Sector Development 2016 is a reliable cross-country data on aspects of private sector development, crucial in planning for economic recovery and growth. In targeting increased exports and investment, many governments prioritize an improved climate for business as a basis to attract capital, create jobs, and provide basic services. The availability of cross-country data on the business environment has rapidly expanded in recent years, including data from the World Bank Group s Doing Business project, Enterprise Surveys, and the Entrepreneurship Snapshots....