This book evaluates development progress using the lens of structural transformation in four groups of developing countries: Africa's least developed countries (LDCs), Asia's LDCs, landlocked Central Asian countries, and Pacific small island states. The analysis presented is contextualized in the diverse economic characteristics and geopolitical landscape of the four categories of countries. 

In doing so, research on Africa's LDCs emphasizes the overall picture of missed economic opportunities, while the research on Asia's LDCs focus on policy lessons. The chapter on landlocked...