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Publications

WORLD BANK GROUP Publications

F A L L

2026

CONTENTS

Flagship Titles.............................................. 1

Focus on Asia............................................. 18

Featured Titles........................................... 11

Regional Economic Updates........................ 20

Featured Titles / East Asia and Pacific......... 13

International Development in Focus............ 22

East Asia and Pacific.................................. 14 World Bank Open Knowledge Repository.... 23 Latin America and the Caribbean | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan, and Pakistan ............................................. 16

Index......................................................... 24

Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan, and Pakistan ............................................. 17

World Bank Group Publications Distributors................................................ 25

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FLAGSHIP TITLES

WORLD DEVELOPMENT REPORT 2026 The Promise of Artificial Intelligence By the World Bank

In a time when development progress has dipped to its weakest pace in 75 years, artificial intelligence (AI) offers developing economies a rare path to greater prosperity. The World Development Report 2026 provides the first comprehensive assessment of what AI means for these economies— how firms and governments are already using it, what is holding them back, where the largest gains may lie, and how the risks can be managed. Its central message is both practical and ambitious. Developing countries do not need to build trillion-dollar, all-purpose models to benefit from AI. But importing AI tools is also not enough. Countries must adapt AI to local languages, institutions, data, and development needs; ensure that national systems can work seamlessly with multiple platforms and providers; and steadily build the skills and infrastructure needed to do more. Low-cost tools—“small AI”—can put scarce expertise within reach of millions, through text messages, voice calls, basic phones, and other technologies that work even where electricity, computing power, and internet access are limited. The gains are already visible. AI is helping to accelerate medical screening, assist farmers with more accurate weather forecasts, and aid teachers in creating better lessons for students. This report offers a clear framework—adopt, adapt, and advance—for the road ahead to help countries capture AI’s benefits without wasting scarce resources or deepening dependence on any single supplier. Earlier technological revolutions left much of the developing world behind. This landmark edition of the World Development Report offers developing economies a road map to prevent a repeat of that outcome.

WORLD DEVELOPMENT REPORT September 2026. 300 pages. Stock no. C212331 (ISBN: 978-1-4648-2331-2). US$54.95

ALSO AVAILABLE IN THIS SERIES

WORLD DEVELOPMENT REPORT 2025 Standards for Development March 2026. 404 pages. Stock no. C212275 (ISBN: 978-1-4648-2275-9). US$54.95

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FLAGSHIP TITLES

POVERTY, PROSPERITY, AND PLANET REPORT 2026 Jobs at the Center of Poverty Eradication By the World Bank

The Poverty, Prosperity, and Planet Report 2026 is the latest edition of the series that assesses the three components of the World Bank mission to end extreme poverty and boost shared prosperity on a livable planet. The report summarizes progress toward achieving these goals. In the spirit of its predecessor reports, this edition has a thematic focus. It delves into the topic of jobs and their role in poverty alleviation, and it draws on newly compiled data on poverty and jobs to profile the global pattern of labor and poverty reduction, emphasizing the joint importance of both more and better jobs.

POVERTY, PROSPERITY, AND PLANET REPORT October 2026. 200 pages. Stock no. C212342 (ISBN: 978-1-4648-2342-8). US$49.50

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FINANCE AND PROSPERITY 2026 October 2026. 80 pages. Stock no. C212308 (ISBN 978-1-4648-2308-4). Online only. https://hdl.handle.net/10986/41538

This report series examines financial sector developments and vulnerabilities in developing economies, identifies key emerging financial sector themes, and offers practical policy recommendations grounded in the World Bank Group’s analytical work, client country engagements, and contributions to global policy discussions and standards setting.

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WORLD BANK GROUP PUBLICATIONS

FLAGSHIP TITLES

BUSINESS READY 2026 By the World Bank

Business Ready (B-READY) is a World Bank Group corporate flagship report that provides a quantitative assessment of the business and investment climate worldwide. It offers a comprehensive data set and analysis of the factors that strengthen the private sector by advancing the interests of individual firms as well as those of workers, consumers, potential new enterprises, and the natural environment. B-READY assesses the state of the business environment from a microeconomic perspective—that is, following the life cycle of the firm. The project’s strength resides not only in its solid analytical framework but also in its specific, granular data. It is designed to inform and guide policy reform on the quality of regulations and the effectiveness of public services that directly affect how businesses and markets operate—investing, innovating, competing, and providing more and better jobs. Its acronym, B-READY, denotes the importance of business readiness and serves also as a call for action: B-READY can and should be used by businesses, workers, civil society, and governments themselves to advocate for and enact targeted reforms. The B-READY methodological framework rests on three pillars that form the foundation for assessing economies: Regulatory Framework, Public Services, and Operational Efficiency. The analysis is structured around 10 topics that correspond to different stages of the life cycle of a firm. B-READY draws on a robust primary data collection process that includes specially tailored expert questionnaires and firm-level surveys. The 2026 report presents data and emerging messages from 163 economies that represent all income levels and geographic regions. This report provides expanded global coverage and concludes the rollout phase.

WORLD BANK GROUP PUBLICATIONS

BUSINESS READY December 2026. 50 pages. Stock no. C212266 (ISBN: 978-1-4648-2266-7). US$49.50

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FLAGSHIP TITLES

GLOBAL ECONOMIC PROSPECTS, JUNE 2026 By the World Bank

A World Bank Group Flagship Report

JUNE 2026

Global Economic Prospects

GLOBAL ECONOMIC PROSPECTS June 2026. 250 pages. Stock no. C212315 (ISBN: 978-1-4648-2315-2). US$49.50

The global economy is facing a major shock as the Middle East conflict drives sharp energy price increases. Global growth is projected to slow to 2.5 percent in 2026, with emerging market and developing economies (EMDEs) facing the weakest per capita income growth since the pandemic. The effects across EMDE regions differ based on direct impact of the conflict, energy exposure, and policy buffers. Risks to the outlook remain skewed to the downside and include escalating hostilities, further commodity market disruptions, and additional geopolitical strains, while broader adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) offers some upside. Policy action is critical: globally to safeguard energy and food security and advance the energy transition, and domestically to control inflation, strengthen fiscal sustainability, and support job creation through investment in physical, human, and digital capital. Compounding pressures from the energy shock, rising debt is driving up sovereign borrowing costs for EMDEs, particularly for those most indebted, underscoring the need for stronger revenue mobilization and improved debt management. Commodity-exporting EMDEs can improve their fiscal resilience by using credible fiscal rules, maintaining well-governed sovereign wealth funds, and diversifying revenue sources to better manage commodity price cycles. Global Economic Prospects is a World Bank Group flagship report that examines global economic developments and prospects, with a special focus on EMDEs, on a semiannual basis (in January and June). Each edition includes analytical pieces on topical policy challenges faced by these economies.

ALSO AVAILABLE IN THIS SERIES COMING SOON

GLOBAL ECONOMIC PROSPECTS, JANUARY 2027 January 2027. 250 pages. Stock no. C211751 (ISBN: 978-1-4648-1751-9). US$49.50

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FLAGSHIP TITLES

INFRASTRUCTURE FOUNDATIONS From Current Assets to Future Growth By Stéphane Straub, He He, Yue Li, Xinxin Lyu, Jevgenijs Steinbuks, Estefanía Vergara Cobos, Christopher Dann, Manuel García-Santana, and Harris Selod

Infrastructure Foundations presents the first exhaustive global database on physical infrastructure assets, covering energy generation capacity, transmission lines, roads, railways, and digital infrastructure such as cell towers, data centers, and fiber-optic cables. Assets are geolocated at detailed administrative levels, enabling fine-grained spatial analysis of infrastructure gaps. The resulting data set supports a comprehensive global assessment of infrastructure stocks, costs, and social returns across more than 150 countries. Building on this evidence, the report develops a policy framework to guide infrastructure investment decisions. The framework allows policy makers to identify infrastructure gaps and prioritize investments under resource constraints. It estimates social rates of return at the country–sector level and compares them with countries’ borrowing costs to derive efficiency ratios. This approach helps assess whether investment in a given sector is justified and how returns compare across sectors.

S U S T A I N A B L E

I N F R A S T R U C T U R E

S E R I E S

INFRASTRUCTURE FOUNDATIONS FROM CURRENT ASSETS TO FUTURE GROWTH

Straub, He, Li, Lyu, Steinbuks, Vergara Cobos, Dann, García-Santana, and Selod

Infrastructure lies at the heart of development. Reliable energy systems, efficient transport networks, and robust digital connectivity are essential for economic growth, job creation, social inclusion, and resilience. They connect people to employment clusters and markets, enable firms to compete and innovate, and allow societies to deliver basic services—from health and education to water and sanitation—at scale. Yet across much of the developing world, large gaps in infrastructure access and quality persist, even as fiscal space remains constrained and investment needs continue to grow.

Stéphane Straub, He He, Yue Li, Xinxin Lyu, Jevgenijs Steinbuks, Estefanía Vergara Cobos, Christopher Dann, Manuel García-Santana, and Harris Selod

SUSTAINABLE INFRASTRUCTURE June 2026. 200 pages. Stock no. C212311 (ISBN: 978-1-4648-2311-4). US$43.95

The results indicate that, in most countries, investment opportunities in energy, transport, and digital sectors exceed borrowing costs, pointing to widespread underinvestment and the potential for a “big push,” especially in Sub-Saharan Africa. Overall, the findings also highlight the importance of mixed investment strategies that leverage complementarities across infrastructure sectors. By grounding investment choices in transparent data and comparable metrics, the report aims to support better prioritization, foster more informed policy dialogue, and help countries build durable infrastructure foundations for future development.

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SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA’S URBAN AWAKENING Catalyzing Economic Growth and Job Creation Edited by Mark Roberts and Emily Owen

Sub-Saharan Africa is urbanizing rapidly. Over the next 25 years, it will add 748 million people to its urban areas, roughly the same number as it has added over the past 50 years. By 2050, the region’s urbanization will be essentially complete. Drawing on diverse sources of data and using the World Bank Group’s jobs framework as its lens, Sub-Saharan Africa’s Urban Awakening: Catalyzing Economic Growth and Job Creation explores how the region’s policy makers can best take advantage of the time-bound opportunities that rapid urbanization presents to help stimulate much-needed economic growth and job creation. The book distinguishes three types of urban area—cities, their peripheries, and towns—and proposes pragmatic policy solutions to address the critical constrains on growth and job creation that face each type. It further provides policy recommendations for measures to help strengthen the authority, ability, and financing of local governments across the three area types. September 2026. 110 pages. Stock no. C211741 (ISBN: 978-1-4648-1741-0). US$49.50

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THRIVING Making Cities Green, Resilient, and Inclusive in a Changing Climate May 2023. 350 pages. Stock no. C211935 (ISBN 978-1-4648-1935-3). US$49.50

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INTEGRATION World-Class Trade Logistics in the Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor By Muneeza Alam and Luis Blancas

The Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor (TCTC), also known as the Middle Corridor, is a developing network of rail freight, maritime shipping, and cargo-handling connections linking markets in East Asia, Central Asia, the South Caucasus, Türkiye, and the rest of Europe. Considering the TCTC’s unique length and multimodal, multipurpose nature; the large number of host and terminus countries that comprise it; and the significant economic opportunity that the integration of these markets represents, transforming the TCTC into a world-class economic corridor is among the world’s most consequential—and complex—challenges in global trade logistics today. Integration: World-Class Trade Logistics in the Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor provides an in-depth assessment of the TCTC’s value proposition, its current status and performance gaps, the magnitude of the economic impacts that can be expected from addressing these gaps, and both the investments and the reimagined, transformational solutions that are needed to attain these improvements. The report makes the case that transforming the TCTC into an economic corridor will take more than investments in infrastructure, to include integration-driven approaches to trade facilitation, logistics service delivery, and cross-border collaboration. What is at stake is the opportunity to more closely integrate the nations of Eurasia through trade and investment, to boost the economic and job creation performance of TCTC host countries, to facilitate the delivery of more efficient and more cost-competitive logistics services to a diverse range of shippers, and to make Eurasian trade more resilient to market and non-market disruptions.

EUROPE AND CENTRAL ASIA STUDIES

INTEGRATION World-Class Trade Logistics Along the Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor

Muneeza M. Alam and Luis C. Blancas

EUROPE AND CENTRAL ASIA REPORTS November 2026. 196 pages. Stock no. C212367 (ISBN: 978-1-4648-2367-1). US$49.50

Global experience in corridor building, including from the TCTC host and terminus countries themselves, as well as these countries’ own plans and aspirations, suggests that this momentous opportunity in intercontinental logistics is achievable—with fit-for-purpose measures that can sustain over time. Through structured narrative, this report seeks to contribute to the multicountry, multistakeholder task of enabling world-class trade logistics in the TCTC.

WORLD BANK GROUP PUBLICATIONS

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RATIONALIZING INFORMALITY Social Protection, Job Quality, and Growth By William Maloney, Guillermo Beylis, Nathalie González-Prieto, and Andrés Zambrano

Drawing on new data and modeling approaches, Rationalizing Informality: Social Protection, Job Quality, and Growth offers a fresh view of the nature and raison d’être of the informal sector. Rather than portraying it as the disadvantaged sector of dysfunctional labor markets, the book emphasizes the continuity of worker behavior and labor force structure across the development process. While acknowledging that a minority of workers is rationed out of formal sector jobs, the evidence shows that the majority engage in the same job calculus as their advanced-country counterparts. In particular, the selfemployed who form the backbone of the informal sector weigh amenities such as independence and flexibility against the costs and benefits of formality when selecting sectors. The volume introduces the first measures of these nonwage dimensions of job quality and finds that workers value them greatly while valuing formal sector benefits far less than their cost to firms and workers.

WORLD BANK LATIN AMERICAN AND CARIBBEAN STUDIES June 2026. 182 pages. Stock no. C212322 (ISBN: 978-1-4648-2322-0). US$43.95

Bringing these insights together, Rationalizing Informality offers a unified model that incorporates both the forces pushing workers into informality and those pulling them toward it, and it quantifies the impact of policies meant to alter those forces. Ultimately, the book argues that attaining social progress, better jobs, and growth requires looking beyond informality and embracing a comprehensive set of reforms to strengthen both workers’ and entrepreneurs’ skills, raise the dynamism of the formal sector, and better align social protection systems with worker and firm needs.

ALSO AVAILABLE IN SPANISH

RATIONALIZING INFORMALITY Social Protection, Job Quality, and Growth September 2026. 202 pages. Stock no. C212351 (ISBN: 978-1-4648-2351-0). US$43.95

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BRAVING THE STORMS IN THE 21ST CENTURY Labor Markets and Shocks in the Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan, and Pakistan By Roberta Gatti, Asif Islam, Jesica Torres, Nelly Elmallakh, and Sumin Chun

Over the past 25 years, the Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan, and Pakistan (MENAAP) region has struggled to create enough quality jobs to meet the aspirations of a young population. A dominant state role and a private sector marked by limited dynamism and cronyism have constrained job creation and productivity. At the same time, the region has faced powerful forces—both temporary shocks and secular trends—that have reshaped labor markets in complex ways: extreme weather events linked to climate change, the rise of artificial intelligence (Al), conflict and forced displacement, macroeconomic adjustments, and the COVID-19 pandemic. Some shocks, like the pandemic, may be one-offs; others, such as climate change and Al, are enduring. Conflict and displacement remain recurrent pressures. How MENAAP labor markets prepare for and adapt to these challenges will be central to future prosperity. Jobs are critical not only for incomes but also for dignity and social inclusion. Well-functioning labor markets allocate talent efficiently, match skills to productive uses, support upskilling, and enable workers and firms to adjust in response to shocks. For many people—especially the poor—human capital is their principal asset. Yet, MENAAP labor markets have often underperformed on these core functions.

Braving the Storms in the 21st Century Labor Markets and Shocks in the Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan, and Pakistan

By Roberta Gatti, Asif Islam, Jesica Torres, Nelly Elmallakh, and Sumin Chun

November 2026. 150 pages. Stock no. C211246 (ISBN: 978-1-4648-1246-0). US$43.95

This chapeau report examines how MENAAP labor markets have responded to five major shocks in the past quarter-century. It synthesizes extensive evidence developed under the region’s gender and labor research programs led by the Chief Economist’s Office. The report aims to clarify risks and opportunities across these domains and to inform policies that can foster more resilient, inclusive, and dynamic labor markets capable of harnessing human capital and navigating ongoing change.

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THE ECONOMICS OF WATER SCARCITY IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA Institutional Solutions April 2023. 226 pages. Stock no. C211739 (ISBN: 978-1-4648-1739-7). US$43.00

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DEMOGRAPHIC CHANGE IN SOUTH ASIA Riding the Tailwinds for Development By Elina Pradhan, Syud Amer Ahmed, Lynn Hu, Jumana Alaref, Zoe Xie, Omoniyi Alimi, Miglena Abels, and Margaret Triyana

In less than a decade, in 2034, South Asia’s working-age population share will peak, and its demographic tailwinds will fade. Just 15 years later, in 2049, the share of people ages 65 or older will double to 14 percent, the point at which an economy is formally considered aged rather than merely aging. This transition from an aging to an aged population is already under way and will unfold seven years faster than in the average emerging market and developing economy and two decades faster than in the average advanced economy. South Asia will complete its transition at per capita income levels below those at which other emerging economies even began their journey. The policy challenge now is to capture the remaining growth potential of a still-expanding working-age population while simultaneously building the institutional and fiscal capacity to manage aging. It demands front-loaded, multipronged action: faster and better job creation, stronger human capital, higher labor force participation (especially among women), expanded oldage income security, and health systems capable of supporting longer, more productive working lives. SOUTH ASIA DEVELOPMENT MATTERS October 2026. 160 pages. Stock no. C210959 (ISBN: 978-1-4648-0959-0). US$43.95

www.worldbank.org/publications • books@worldbank.org

South Asia is approaching a demographic turning point. The region’s youthful population can become a greater asset, driving innovation, entrepreneurship, and the productivity that sustains both young and old. Reforms that expand productive work, strengthen human capital, and build aging-ready systems can avert the most serious risks of rising dependency, fiscal strain, and economic stagnation. The reforms that capture the remaining first demographic dividend are the same reforms that finance and staff the response to aging. They are most effective when undertaken together. What the region does in the next decade will decide whether the demographic transition delivers a sustained improvement in living standards or whether it closes around a generation that grew old before it grew rich.

WORLD BANK GROUP PUBLICATIONS

FEATURED TITLES

INTERNATIONAL DEBT REPORT 2026 By the World Bank

For more than five decades, the World Bank’s premier annual publication on debt, now titled the International Debt Report, along with the associated International Debt Statistics (IDS) database, have helped shape policies in development finance by sharing timely and comprehensive external debt data and analysis with the international community. Drawing on data collected through the World Bank’s Debtor Reporting System, this publication has kept pace with evolving borrowing patterns and new lending instruments, measured the impact of initiatives to relieve debt burdens, and promoted best practices in debt recording and reporting. Each year the report presents timely analysis of evolving trends in external debt stocks and flows of low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), as well as issues and challenges for development finance. The IDS database provides comprehensive information on external debt stocks and flows of public and private borrowers in LMICs by borrower and creditor, the terms on which external loans are contracted, current and future debt service, and debt indicators in relation to key economic variables.

INTERNATIONAL DEBT REPORT November 2026. 280 pages. Stock no. C212355 (ISBN: 978-1-4648-2355-8). US$49.50

RAISING REVENUE RIGHT A Roadmap for Domestic Resource Mobilization By Pierre Bachas, Oyebola Okunogbe, Mahvish Shaukat, and Dario Tortarolo

Raising revenue right is a defining challenge for emerging market and developing economies. Government revenues have not kept pace with spending, many tax systems are inefficient, and fairness is also lacking. The the combined effect of taxes and transfers in many countries leaves more people in poverty than it lifts out. This Policy Research Report argues that countries can do better. It presents an integrated framework to help policy makers identify the best combination of efficiency and fairness for raising a given amount of revenue—an ideal referred to as the fiscal frontier. To reach the fiscal frontier, the report argues that countries should leverage three major transformations in the fiscal landscape: technological advances, greater transparency enabled by international cooperation, and new insights on trust and the political economy of taxation. Together, these forces can enable public finance systems to raise needed revenues while improving efficiency and fairness. POLICY RESEARCH REPORT September 2026. 400 pages. Stock no. C212034 (ISBN: 978-1-4648-2034-2). US$60.50

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FEATURED TITLES

INSTITUTIONS AND PROSPERITY Public Institutions for Enabling the Private Sector By the World Bank

INSTITUTIONS AND PROSPERITY PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS FOR ENABLING THE PRIVATE SECTOR

October 2026. 120 pages. Stock no. C212189 (ISBN: 978-1-4648-2189-9). US$43.95

A thriving private sector is the engine of economic growth and development, driving job creation, generating income, and spurring innovation. Yet, behind any flourishing private sector is a well-functioning public sector that fosters a strong business climate and provides public goods and services that support private investment. Weak public institutions can inhibit the private sector, constraining broader growth and development. Institutions and Prosperity: Public Institutions for Enabling the Private Sector examines private sector development through a critical but often-overlooked lens: the capacity of public institutions to effectively implement their policy mandates. Drawing on extensive evidence and data, this report provides a practical conceptual framework that can diagnose the complex challenges facing public institutions and identify pathways for addressing them, focusing on regulatory institutions and public procurement. The analysis underscores the need to understand how organizational and governance dimensions interact to determine public institutions’ capacity to implement policies effectively.

THE GLOBAL JOBS CHALLENGE By Tommy Chrimes, M. Ayhan Kose, and Kersten Stamm

The world faces a jobs challenge of historic proportions that will shape global prosperity and stability for decades to come. Between 2025 and 2035, around 1.2 billion young people in emerging market and developing economies are set to reach working age, the largest youth cohort the world will likely ever see. Jobs are essential to reducing poverty, promoting shared prosperity, building self-sufficient economies, and strengthening social stability.

November 2026. 252 pages. Stock no. C211486 (ISBN: 978-1-4648-1486-0). US$49.50

This study offers a wide-ranging assessment of the global jobs challenge. It explores demographic and labor market trends, explains why the challenge has become more complex, and discusses policies to address it. The study highlights three policy pillars: foundational infrastructure (physical, human, and digital capital), a business-friendly environment, and mobilization of private capital. Complementary policies focus on five sectors identified by the World Bank Group with high potential for resilient, largescale job creation: infrastructure (including energy), agribusiness and farming, health, tourism, and value-added manufacturing.

www.worldbank.org/publications • books@worldbank.org

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FEATURED TITLES / EAST ASIA AND PACIFIC

GREEN CHINA Transforming Energy, Industry, and Ecosystems for a Low-Carbon Future By the World Bank and the Development Research Center of the State Council, The People’s Republic of China

GREEN

This report focuses on three critical challenges for China as it strives to achieve its CHINA “dual carbon” goals: advancing the low-carbon transition of the power sector, abating industrial emissions, and conserving and enhancing the carbon sink capacity of ecosystems. The power and industry sectors account for 80 percent of national carbon emissions because of their heavy use of coal, and ecosystem-based sinks are needed to offset emissions that direct reductions cannot eliminate. The report provides policy options with the greatest impact for meeting China’s climate goals while sustaining economic growth and rising living standards.

GREEN CHINA

Building on four decades of rapid modernization, China is now advancing a structural transition to green, low-carbon development in recognition of the environmental limits of its earlier model. In 2020, the government set ambitious goals to have carbon emissions peak before 2030 and to reach carbon neutrality before 2060. Transforming Energy, Industry, and Ecosystems for a Low-Carbon Future

GREEN

CHINA

Transforming Energy, Industry, and Ecosystems for a Low-Carbon Future

Transforming Energy, Industry, and Ecosystems for a Low-Carbon Future World Bank Group Development Research Center of the State Council, The People’s Republic of China

ISBN 978-1-4648-2226-1

SKU 212226

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06/11/25 11:09 PM

September 2026. 176 pages. Stock no. C212226 (ISBN: 978-1-4648-2226-1). US$43.95

SMALL GOVERNMENTS, BIG AMBITIONS Fiscal Policy in East Asia and Pacific By Ergys Islamaj, Aaditya Mattoo, Agustin Samano, and Matthew Wai-Poi

Over the past three decades, most countries in the East Asia and Pacific (EAP) region have achieved high growth while taxing little and spending within their means. The region has relied on low tax rates and used the limited revenues for public investment, especially on infrastructure. While this restrained fiscal stance has supported growth and macroeconomic stability, it has also led to underinvestment in education, health, social protection, and adaptation to climate change. One result has been the uneven development of human capital, which hinders the transition to more skill-intensive growth. Another is heightened exposure to shocks for both countries and individuals in a region that is rapidly aging and increasingly vulnerable to extreme climate events. The report examines how EAP economies can reform their fiscal frameworks to support growth and ensure that it is inclusive and resilient. Given the constraints on direct taxation in a world where capital and skills are mobile, revenue mobilization could rely more on uniform indirect taxes. However, with the political difficulty of widening indirect taxes in a region where inequality is high, the tax effort would need to be credibly complemented by targeted transfers to meet social protection goals, as well as investments in human capital and climate adaptation, all of which can contribute to higher and more inclusive growth.

WORLD BANK GROUP PUBLICATIONS

EAST ASIA AND PACIFIC DEVELOPMENT STUDIES September 2026. 296 pages. Stock no. C212318 (ISBN: 978-1-4648-2318-3). US$49.50

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EAST ASIA AND PACIFIC

SKILLS FOR DEVELOPMENT IN AN ERA OF RAPID TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGE A Study of East Asia and Pacific Countries By Cristian Aedo, Diego Ambasz, Omar Arias, and Aaditya Mattoo

Skills development has been uneven in the East Asia and Pacific (EAP) region. Some countries like Viet Nam are striving to enhance higher-level skills, while others like Cambodia and the Philippines are struggling to fix basic skills. Cambodia exemplifies the trade trap, where people drop out of school to earn a relatively high wage making T-shirts for export. Indonesia illustrates innovation inertia: Ignorance and uncertainty about new technologies result in an underinvestment in skills. This study examines how enhanced workforce capacities can match evolving economic opportunities. It will examine the evolution of skills supply and demand, benchmarked against global patterns; the dynamic interplay between skills supply and demand, highlighting the role of trade and technology; and reforms to address market and governance failures, such as coordination gaps between industry and education systems that hinder skills development and alignment. EAST ASIA AND PACIFIC DEVELOPMENT STUDIES November 2026. 150 pages. Stock no. C212317 (ISBN: 978-1-4648-2317-6). US$43.95

SHIFTING SANDS Trade and the Reform Imperative in East Asia and Pacific By Alessandro Barattieri and Aaditya Mattoo

East Asia’s remarkable export-led, labor-intensive growth was based on access to predictably open international markets and the relative abundance of workers with basic skills. Today, increased protection and policy uncertainty threatens access to markets. Technological change is redefining the relevant skills. Together with aging and climate risks, these developments are affecting EAP’s comparative advantage and growth and jobs in the EAP region as well. This report examines the implications of these shifts and explores the benefits of a synchronized, three-pronged response: harnessing new technologies, pursuing domestic reforms, and deepening international cooperation.

EAST ASIA AND PACIFIC DEVELOPMENT STUDIES November 2026. 150 pages. Stock no. C212319 (ISBN: 978-1-4648-2319-0). US$43.95

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AFRICA

INTEGRATING AFRICA From Threads to Hubs By Woubet Kassa, Hiau Looi Kee, and Jean-Christophe Maur

This report argues that Africa’s binding integration constraint is not insufficient openness but a structural disconnect between trade and transformation. While Africa’s trade openness is comparable to East Asia’s, its export composition remains concentrated in low complexity commodities, and intra-African trade—where manufactures and processed goods dominate—is too small to generate scale, learning, and production linkages. Against a backdrop of global fragmentation, rising trade uncertainty, and the urgency of resilience, the book reframes regional integration as a strategic development response rather than a continuation of past models. It provides an actionable policy blueprint organized around four mutually reinforcing pillars: building regional value chains; reducing trade frictions through interoperability; deepening and enforcing regional agreements, including the Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement; and delivering regional public goods such as security, energy pools, and transport corridors. Combining new diagnostics and empirical evidence, the book offers layered strategies for national governments, regional institutions, and continental platforms for turning fragmented markets into functional regional production networks capable of driving structural transformation.

A F R I C A D E V E LO P M E N T F O RU M

Integrating Africa From Threads to Hubs Woubet Kassa, Hiau Looi Kee, and Jean-Christophe Maur

AFRICA DEVELOPMENT FORUM August 2026. 186 pages. Stock no. C212320 (ISBN: 978-1-4648-2320-6). US$43.95

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FRENCH EDITION September 2026. 186 pages. Stock no. C212353 (ISBN: 978-1-4648-2353-4). US$43.95

INEQUALITIES IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA Multidimensional Perspectives and Future Challenges By Anda David, Murray Leibbrandt, Vimal Ranchhod, and Rawane Yasser

Drawing evidence from recent research, this book focuses on the political economy of inequality, social mobility, and climate change to provide an important contribution to the research on inequality in Africa. It aims to understand socioeconomic inequalities, as well as their determinants, evolution, and effects, and to identify public policies that can address them, in the framework of the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals. The book also highlights the importance of the African context in the global inequality discussion while pinpointing some of the crucial research gaps on inequalities across the continent. It was written in close collaboration with the African Center of Excellence for Inequality Research to ensure that the discussion of inequalities is informed and driven by African researchers.

A FR IC A D EV EL O PM E NT F O RUM

Inequalities in Sub-Saharan Africa Multidimensional Perspectives and Future Challenges Anda David, Murray Leibbrandt, Vimal Ranchhod, and Rawane Yasser, Editors

AFRICA DEVELOPMENT FORUM March 2025. 292 pages. Stock no. C212150 (ISBN: 978-1-4648-2150-9). US$49.50

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LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN | MIDDLE EAST, NORTH AFRICA, AFGHANISTAN, AND PAKISTAN

THE GOVERNMENT ANALYTICS HANDBOOK (PORTUGUESE ABRIDGED EDITION) Leveraging Data to Strengthen Public Administration By Daniel Rogger and Christian Schuster

This abridged version of the main Handbook has been translated by the National School of Public Administration of Brazil and contains seven chapters that address key issues for Latin America and the Caribbean. ALSO AVAILABLE

THE GOVERNMENT ANALYTICS HANDBOOK (SPANISH ABRIDGED EDITION)

Leveraging Data to Strengthen Public Administration Online only at http://bit.ly/44P1e98.

December 2026. 164 pages. Stock no. C212279 (ISBN: 978-1-4648-2279-7). US$43.95

COMPETING IN THE FACE OF CLIMATE RISKS Evidence from Firms and Policy Priorities in MENAAP By Zeina Alsharkas, Jean Michel Marchat, Enrique Aldaz-Carroll, and Ana Goicoechea

Countries in the Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan, and Pakistan (MENAAP) region are among the most water-scarce in the world and increasingly vulnerable to heat extremes, droughts, floods, and sea-level rise. Rising temperatures are already reducing labor productivity, straining health systems, intensifying desertification, and contributing to water scarcity, crop losses, and higher energy demand for cooling while deepening fragility, poverty, and displacement risks. These circumstances create an urgent need to respond. This report focuses on two concrete and immediate examples of how heat- and trade-related policies in destination markets affect firms and the broader economy of the MENNAP region. Firms in MENAAP will need to adapt to this changing physical and regulatory environment. The development of the renewable-energy markets, as well as the important role of resource efficiency for the region, will offer further opportunities. MIDDLE EAST, NORTH AFRICA, AFGHANISTAN, AND PAKISTAN DEVELOPMENT REPORT July 2026. 180 pages. Stock no. C212335 (ISBN: 978-1-4648-2335-0). US$43.95

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MIDDLE EAST, NORTH AFRICA, AFGHANISTAN, AND PAKISTAN

BUILDING FOOD SECURITY, CREATING JOBS Policy Pathways for the Region By the World Bank

Food security is a major concern for the Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan, and Pakistan (MENAAP). Across the region, food insecurity and malnutrition are rising at a pace not seen in recent decades, affecting conflict-affected, middle-income, and high-income countries alike. While one in six MENAAP residents lacks secure access to food, the region simultaneously records some of the highest rates of obesity in the world. Mounting pressures from conflict, water scarcity, climate shocks, and economic volatility make the need for food system transformation both urgent and unavoidable.

M I D D L E E A S T, N O R T H A F R I C A, A F G H A N I S TA N , A N D PA K I S TA N DEVELOPMENT REPORT

Building Food Security, Creating Jobs Policy Pathways for the Region

Drawing on regional data, original quantitative modeling, new survey evidence, and country case studies, this book examines the full complexity of the challenge: the evolution of food demand, the constraints on domestic production under climate change and severe water scarcity, trade management, the devastating impact of conflict on food systems, and the role of the private sector in driving sustainable change as well as the potential for job creation. ALSO AVAILABLE

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MIDDLE EAST, NORTH AFRICA, AFGHANISTAN, AND PAKISTAN DEVELOPMENT REPORT

FRENCH EDITION

August 2026. 182 pages. Stock no. C212246 (ISBN: 978-1-4648-2246-9). US$43.95

September 2026. 100 pages. Stock no. C212372 (ISBN: 978-1-4648-2372-5). US$43.95

September 2026. 100 pages. Stock no. C212370 (ISBN: 978-1-4648-2370-1). US$43.95

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TEN THOUSAND STEPS IN HER SHOES The Role of Public Transport in Women’s Economic Empowerment By Muneeza Mehmood Alam and Lisa Bagnoli

Women around the world face numerous mobility challenges. Public transport can provide many economic benefits that should be enjoyed equally by all users, regardless of gender or life circumstances. In the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, women have a higher university enrollment rate than men, yet their labor force participation rate remains low and stagnant. What is preventing them from translating their educational achievements into economic productivity? Is it a matter of personal preference or structural barriers, or is it both? Improving public transport and tailoring it to the needs of various communities can help women be economically active. The analysis and recommendations presented in this report will help policy makers design concrete actions, improve women’s mobility through public transport, and create an enabling environment to increase female economic participation.

MIDDLE EAST, NORTH AFRICA, AFGHANISTAN, AND PAKISTAN DEVELOPMENT REPORT July 2024. 112 pages. Stock no. C212091 (ISBN: 978-1-4648-2091-5). US$43.95

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FOCUS ON ASIA

FOCUS ON ASIA EAST ASIA AND PACIFIC DEVELOPMENT STUDIES This series explores economic developments in one of the most vibrant regions of the world. Each volume in the series presents a blend of rigorous analysis, relevant examples, and lessons from the region’s unique experiences. From the intricacies of the services sectors to the factors driving firm productivity, and from the challenges facing health care to the complexities of the green transition, this series will be a resource for scholars, policy makers, and practitioners alike. https://hdl.handle.net/10986/42047

SHIFTING SANDS The East Asia and Pacific Trade Challenge November 2026. 150 pages. Stock no. C212319 (ISBN 978-1-4648-2319-0). US$43.95.

SKILLS FOR DEVELOPMENT IN EAST ASIA AND PACIFIC AMID RAPID TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGE November 2026. 150 pages. Stock no. C212317 (ISBN 978-1-4648-2317-6). US$43.95.

SMALL GOVERNMENTS, BIG AMBITIONS Fiscal Policy in East Asia and Pacific September 2026. 296 pages. Stock no. C212317 (ISBN 978-1-4648-2317-6). US$49.50.

A HEALTHY FUTURE Primary Health Care and the Chronic Disease Epidemic in East Asia and Pacific January 2026. 160 pages. Stock no. C212284 (ISBN: 978-1-4648-2284-1). US$43.95.

GREEN TECHNOLOGIES Decarbonizing Development in East Asia and Pacific

FUTURE JOBS Robots, Artificial Intelligence, and Digital Platforms in East Asia and Pacific June 2025. 212 pages. Stock no. C212199 (ISBN: 978-1-4648-2199-8). US$43.95.

FIRM FOUNDATIONS OF GROWTH Productivity and Technology in East Asia and Pacific June 2025. 168 pages. Stock no. C212200 (ISBN: 978-1-4648-2200-1). US$43.95.

SERVICES UNBOUND Digital Technologies and Policy Reform in East Asia and Pacific December 2024. 172 pages. Stock no. C212082 (ISBN: 978-1-4648-2082-3). US$43.95.

FIXING THE FOUNDATION Teachers and Basic Education in East Asia and Pacific December 2023. 158 pages. Stock no. C211904 (ISBN: 978-1-4648-1904-9). US$43.95.

June 2025. 142 pages. Stock no. C212198 (ISBN: 978-1-4648-2198-1). US$43.95.

SOUTH ASIA DEVELOPMENT MATTERS This regional flagship series serves as a vehicle for in-depth synthesis of economic and policy analysis on key development topics for South Asia. It aims to promote dialogue and debate with all of the World Bank’s partners—from policy makers to civil society organizations, academic institutions, development practitioners, and the media—and to contribute toward building consensus among all those who care about stimulating development and eradicating poverty in South Asia. https://hdl.handle.net/10986/2149

FROM RISK TO RESILIENCE Helping People and Firms Adapt in South Asia

STRIVING FOR CLEAN AIR Air Pollution and Public Health in South Asia

February 2026. 382 pages. Stock no. C212152 (ISBN: 978-1-4648-2152-3). US$54.95.

June 2023. 114 pages. Stock no. C211831 (ISBN: 978-1-4648-1831-8). US$49.50

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HIDDEN DEBT Solutions to Avert the Next Financial Crisis in South Asia August 2021. 194 pages. Stock no. C211667 (ISBN: 978-1-4648-1667-3). US$48.50

SOUTH ASIA’S HOTSPOTS The Impact of Temperature and Precipitation Changes on Living Standards July 2018. 120 pages. Stock no. C211155 (ISBN: 978-1-4648-1155-5). US$35.00

SOUTH ASIA’S TURN Policies to Boost Competitiveness and Create the Next Export Powerhouse

LEVERAGING URBANIZATION IN SOUTH ASIA Managing Spatial Transformation for Prosperity and Livability November 2015. 204 pages. Stock no. C210662 (ISBN: 978-1-4648-0662-9). US$35.00.

ADDRESSING INEQUALITY IN SOUTH ASIA October 2014. 194 pages. Stock no. C210022 (ISBN: 978-1-4648-0022-1). US$29.95

MORE AND BETTER JOBS IN SOUTH ASIA December 2011. 358 pages. Stock no. C18912 (ISBN: 978-0-8213-8912-6). US$39.95

May 2017. 178 pages. Stock no. C210973 (ISBN: 978-1-4648-0973-6). US$35.00

SOUTH ASIA DEVELOPMENT FORUM Home to a one-fifth of humankind and to almost half of the people living in poverty, South Asia is also a region of marked contrasts: from conflict-affected areas to vibrant democracies, from demographic bulges to aging societies, from energy crises to global companies. This series explores the challenges faced by a region whose fate is critical to the success of global development in the early 21st century and can also make a difference for global peace. The volumes in the series organize in an accessible way findings from recent research and lessons of experience across a range of development topics. The series is intended to present new ideas and to stimulate debate among practitioners, researchers, and all those interested in public policies. In doing so, it exposes the options faced by decision makers in the region and highlights the enormous potential of this fast-changing part of the world. https://hdl.handle.net/10986/20114

ENGENDERING ACCESS TO STEM EDUCATION AND CAREERS IN SOUTH ASIA July 2023. 108 pages. Stock no. C211966 (ISBN: 978-1-4648-1966-7). US$35.00.

GLACIERS OF THE HIMALAYAS Climate Change, Black Carbon, and Regional Resilience July 2021. 134 pages. Stock no. C210099 (ISBN: 978-1-4648-0099-3). US$45.00.

HIDDEN POTENTIAL Rethinking Informality in South Asia

READY TO LEARN Before School, In School, and Beyond School in South Asia

January 2023. 354 pages. Stock no. C211834 (ISBN: 978-1-4648-1834-9). US$43.95.

March 2020. 382 pages. Stock no. C211327 (ISBN: 978-1-4648-1327-6). US$45.00.

REGIONAL INVESTMENT PIONEERS IN SOUTH ASIA The Payoff of Knowing Your Neighbors December 2021. 258 pages. Stock no. C211534 (ISBN: 978-1-4648-1534-8). US$45.00.

FROM JOBS TO CAREERS Apparel Exports and Career Paths for Women in Developing Countries December 2021. 178 pages. Stock no. C211803 (ISBN: 978-1-4648-1803-5). US$43.95.

THE CONVERGING TECHNOLOGY REVOLUTION AND HUMAN CAPITAL Potential and Implications for South Asia October 2021. 158 pages. Stock no. C211719 (ISBN: 978-1-4648-1719-9). US$43.95.

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EXPORTS TO JOBS Boosting the Gains from Trade in South Asia February 2019. 206 pages. Stock no. C211248 (ISBN: 978-1-4648-1248-4). US$45.00.

IN THE DARK How Much Do Power Sector Distortions Cost South Asia? December 2018. 258 pages. Stock no. C211154 (ISBN: 978-1-4648-1154-8). US$39.95.

A GLASS HALF FULL The Promise of Regional Trade in South Asia September 2018. 250 pages. Stock no. C211294 (ISBN: 978-1-4648-1294-1). US$39.95.

VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AND GIRLS Lessons from South Asia September 2014. 240 pages. Stock no. C210171 (ISBN: 978-1-4648-0171-6). US$29.95. in the U.S. phone: +1-800-888-4741 • fax: +1-312-337-0747

REGIONAL ECONOMIC UPDATES

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South Asia Economic Update

APRIL 2026

Latin A Africa & the Cmerica Economic Economic Update Econom aribbean Update Industrial Policy in the ic Updat Digital Age Revisitin Making Industrial Policy e g Indust Work rial Policy in Africa

ub-Saharan Africa’s economic recovery from successive global shocks is losing momentum, with growth projections for 2026 revised downward from those published in October 2025. Geopolitical spillovers from the conflict in the Middle East, high debt service burdens, and structural weaknesses are limiting growth prospects and job creation. Against this backdrop, the report argues that Africa’s growth challenge is structural, reflected in low investment, weak productivity, and limited job creation. While interest in industrial policy has revived, past efforts often failed due to weak implementation capacity, fiscal and institutional constraints. The report proposes a pragmatic, ecosystem -based approach that aligns policy tools with country capabilities to deliver productivity gains and durable structural transformation.

Africa Economic Update

Latin Am

APRI L 2026

SPRING 2026 REGIONAL ECONOMIC UPDATES Published twice a year for the International Monetary Fund/World Bank Group Spring and Annual Meetings, the World Bank Group’s Regional Economic Updates examine recent economic developments, present the regional outlook, and explore a thematic topic of critical importance to the region’s development. All reports are available at no charge from the World Bank Open Knowledge Repository. ONLINE ONLY—AVAILABLE NOW!

AFRICA: PATHWAYS TO JOB CREATION IN AFRICA

APRIL 2026

Africa Economic Update

Sub-Saharan Africa’s economic recovery from successive global shocks is losing momentum, with growth projections for 2026 revised downward from those published in October 2025. Geopolitical spillovers from the conflict in the Middle East, high debt service burdens, and structural weaknesses are limiting growth prospects and job creation. Against this backdrop, the report argues that Africa’s growth challenge is structural, reflected in low investment, weak productivity, and limited job creation. With interest in industrial policy growing, the report proposes a pragmatic, ecosystem-based approach that aligns policy tools with country capabilities to deliver productivity gains and durable structural transformation. Available in French and English. 128 pages. April 2026

Making Industrial Policy Work in Africa

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EAST ASIA AND PACIFIC: INDUSTRIAL POLICY IN THE DIGITAL AGE

APRIL 2026

East Asia & Pacific Economic Update Industrial Policy in the Digital Age

The East Asia and Pacific (EAP) region continues to grow faster than much of the rest of world, despite external shocks and global uncertainty, but growth is slowing in 2026. Longer-term growth requires reversing the productivity slowdown. Structural reforms have lost momentum, new jobs are in low-productivity services, and leading firms are falling behind the global digital frontier. The artificial intelligence boom is spurring trade and investment, but EAP’s ability to capture its benefits is constrained by gaps in connectivity and skills. Will the increasing recourse to industrial policy help? Download “Industrial Policy in the Digital Age” to learn more. 178 pages. April 2026

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EUROPE AND CENTRAL ASIA: INDUSTRIAL POLICY

APRIL 2026

Industrial policy interventions in Europe and Central Asia (ECA) have surged since 2020, shifting from pandemic relief toward economic development, energy efficiency, supply chain resilience, critical minerals, and national security. While weaker productivity growth makes industrial policy tempting, it should be used sparingly to address specific market failures while preserving competition. Governments should prioritize modernizing institutions, business environments, and education systems to drive productivity and job creation. Where justified, industrial policies should provide tailored public inputs favoring new firms and ideas rather than protect existing sectors or incumbents. 80 pages. April 2026 Risks to the outlook are substantial. A more protracted and intense conflict in the Middle East could severely disrupt global energy flows, pushing oil, natural gas, and fertilizer prices higher and leading to much weaker growth and higher inflation. Growth in the euro area could falter, especially if global trade tensions escalate.

Industrial policy interventions in ECA have surged since 2020. After an initial increase to cover pandemic relief, the focus has shifted toward economic development, energy efficiency, food and supply chain resilience, critical minerals, and national security. Domestic subsidies and nontariff measures account for most of ECA’s industrial policies; import tariffs are rarely used.

Europe & Central Asia Economic Update – April 2026

he resilience of the countries of Europe and Central Asia is tested again by the crisis in the Middle East and rising energy import prices. Growth in the region is likely to weaken to 2.2 percent on average in 2026–27 from 2.6 percent in 2025. The pace of economic expansion in the Russian Federation is expected to ease amid reduced fiscal support and structural constraints. Growth in Türkiye is likely to drop to 2.8 percent this year because of higher energy and food prices, before firming to 3.7 percent in 2027.

Europe & Central Asia Economic Update Industrial Policy

Although resorting to industrial policies may be tempting in times of weaker productivity growth, policymakers should use them sparingly to address specific market failures while preserving competition, not as the main engine for development. The priority for governments needs to be the modernization of institutions, business environments, and educational systems to support productivity gains and job creation. If justified, industrial policies should focus on providing tailored public inputs and prioritize new firms or ideas, rather than protect existing sectors or incumbents.

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APRIL 2026

Latin America & the Caribbean Economic Update – April 2026

Latin America & the Caribbean Economic Update Revisiting Industrial Policy: Strategic Options for Today

The Office of the Chief Economist of the Latin America and the Caribbean Region

LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN: REVISITING INDUSTRIAL POLICY: STRATEGIC OPTIONS FOR TODAY The Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) region entered 2026 with growth still constrained by longstanding structural challenges. Regional GDP growth was projected as of April 2026 to reach 2.1 percent in 2026, with GDP per capita barely growing. Despite these hurdles, the region is uniquely positioned to benefit from the shifting global landscape. Well-founded targeted reforms and modern industrial policies can help convert strategic assets into quality jobs and more productive, inclusive growth. Available in Spanish, Portuguese, and English. 91 pages. April 2026

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MIDDLE EAST, NORTH AFRICA, AFGHANISTAN, AND PAKISTAN: CHALLENGES OF CONFLICT AND INDUSTRIAL POLICIES FOR DEVELOPMENT The Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan, and Pakistan (MENAAP) region is facing conflict, exacting a serious human and economic toll and heightening geopolitical uncertainty. Disruptions to key energy supply routes have affected markets and weakened the growth outlook. April 2026 MPO forecasts indicate that regional growth (excluding Iran) will slow from 4.0 percent in 2025 to 1.8 percent in 2026—2.4 percentage points below the World Bank Group’s January projections. Sustained increases in energy prices are generating inflationary pressures through higher production costs and food prices. This report examines how the conflict is affecting economies across the region and explores industrial policies to drive growth and job creation. 95 pages. April 2026

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SOUTH ASIA: WORKING WITH INDUSTRIAL POLICY

APRIL 2026

South Asia Economic Update

Working with Industrial Policy

The Office of the Chief Economist of the South Asia Region

Growth in South Asia is expected to slow in 2026 due to disruptions in global energy markets, as the region relies heavily on imported energy. The region’s outlook is vulnerable to spillovers from the conflict in the Middle East. Despite the slowdown, South Asia remains the fastest-growing region globally, driven by strong domestic demand in India and recent trade reforms. The report emphasizes the need for broad-based policies to improve public infrastructure, remove trade barriers, foster business-enabling environments, and mobilize private capital, as well as targeted industrial policy measures to address market failures—all of which are crucial for sustained growth and job creation. 140 pages. April 2026

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Coming in October: Fall Regional Economic Updates on Artificial Intelligence Stay tuned for the launch of the Fall Regional Economic Updates for the 2026 International Monetary Fund/World Bank Group Annual Meetings October 12–18. Scan the QR code above to find the latest reports. VIEW & DOWNLOAD

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INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN FOCUS

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN FOCUS The International Development in Focus series comprises original, well-developed studies that highlight current development issues and are intended to influence programs and policy. These books result from research and analysis carried out as part of the World Bank’s operational work around the world.

ADAPTING TO ADVERSITY Poverty and Climate Risks in Latin America and the Caribbean By Alejandro de la Fuente, Miki Khanh Doan, and Samuel Freije-Rodriguez

This book explores how climate hazards threaten progress against poverty in Latin America and the Caribbean. Using new data, original and past research, and real-world examples, it shows who is most at risk and how better policies can protect vulnerable families and secure lasting progress toward a more resilient and equitable future. INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN FOCUS

July 2026. 184 pages. Stock no. C212314 (ISBN: 978-1-4648-2314-5). US$41.95

SOCIAL PROTECTION SYSTEMS FOR FORCIBLY DISPLACED POPULATIONS AND HOST COMMUNITIES IN AFRICA’S GREAT LAKES REGION By Christopher Gabelle, Jordi Gallego-Ayala, Rodolfo Beazley, Ewen Macleod, and Scovia Aweko

This book examines how national social protection systems can better support refugees, internally displaced people, returnees, and host communities in the Great Lakes Region of Africa. It analyzes current approaches and identifies practical options to strengthen government-led responses to protracted forced displacement. INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN FOCUS

June 2026. 158 pages. Stock no. C212344 (ISBN: 978-1-4648-2344-2). US$41.95

HOMES AND HOPES Mobilizing Private Capital for Affordable Housing and Family Investment in Kazakhstan By Katerina Levitanskaya, Martin Melecky, and Andrey Milyutin

In Kazakhstan, housing affordability is an economic constraint, reflecting structural inefficiencies in mortgage finance, subsidy design, and funding models. Homes and Hopes analyzes the country’s residential mortgage market and proposes policy reforms to unlock private capital, strengthen financial stability, and enable more families to invest. INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN FOCUS

June 2026. 108 pages. Stock no. C212338 (ISBN: 978-1-4648-2338-1). US$35.00

ALSO AVAILABLE IN RUSSIAN August 2026. 120 pages. Stock no. C212346 (ISBN: 978-1-4648-2346-6). US$41.95

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The World Bank is the largest single source of development knowledge. The World Bank Open Knowledge Repository (OKR) is the World Bank’s official open access repository for its research outputs and knowledge products released since 2000. By providing free access to its books, reports, and knowledge products, the World Bank aims to foster innovation and support efforts to alleviate poverty globally. The OKR contains more than 40,000 World Bank Group items and 900 author profiles. It is continually updated with

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INDEX

Adapting to Adversity...................................................22 Addressing Inequality in South Asia............................. 19

Latin America and the Caribbean: Revisiting Industrial Policy: Strategic Options for Today................21

Africa: Pathways to Job Creation in Africa....................20

Leveraging Urbanization in South Asia......................... 19

A Glass Half Full............................................................ 19

Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan, and Pakistan: Challenges of Conflict and Industrial Policies for Development.................................................................21

A Healthy Future............................................................18 Braving the Storms in the 21st Century...........................9 Building Food Security, Creating Jobs...........................17 Business Ready 2026..................................................... 3 Competing in the Face of Climate Risks....................... 16 Demographic Change in South Asia............................. 10

More and Better Jobs in South Asia.............................. 19 Poverty, Prosperity, and Planet Report 2026..................2 Raising Revenue Right................................................... 11 Rationalizing Informality.................................................8

East Asia and Pacific Development Studies...................18

Ready to Learn.............................................................. 19

East Asia and Pacific: Industrial Policy in the Digital Age..........................................................20

Regional Investment Pioneers in South Asia................ 19 Regional Economic Updates.........................................20

Engendering Access to STEM Education and Careers in South Asia................................................... 19

Services Unbound..........................................................18

Europe and Central Asia: Industrial Policy....................20 Exports to Jobs............................................................. 19

Skills for Development in an Era of Rapid Technological Change...................................................14

Firm Foundations of Growth..........................................18

Small Governments, Big Ambitions................................13

Fixing the Foundation....................................................18 From Jobs to Careers................................................... 19

Social Protection Systems for Forcibly Displaced Populations and Host Communities in Africa’s Great Lakes Region.......................................................22

From Risk to Resilience.................................................18

South Asia Development Forum................................... 19

Future Jobs....................................................................18

South Asia Development Matters..................................18

Glaciers of the Himalayas............................................. 19

South Asia’s Hotspots....................................................18

Global Economic Prospects, June 2026......................... 4

South Asia’s Turn...........................................................18

Green China...................................................................13

South Asia: Working with Industrial Policy.....................21

Green Technologies.......................................................18

Spring 2026 Regional Economic Updates....................20

Hidden Debt..................................................................18

Striving for Clean Air......................................................18

Hidden Potential........................................................... 19

Sub-Saharan Africa’s Urban Awakening.........................6

Homes and Hopes........................................................22

Ten Thousand Steps in Her Shoes.................................17

Inequalities in Sub-Saharan Africa................................ 15 Infrastructure Foundations.............................................5

The Converging Technology Revolution and Human Capital.............................................................. 19

Institutions and Prosperity.............................................12

The Global Jobs Challenge............................................12

Integrating Africa.......................................................... 15 Integration...................................................................... 7

The Government Analytics Handbook (Portuguese Abridged Edition)...................................... 16

International Debt Report 2026..................................... 11

Violence against Women and Girls............................... 19

International Development in Focus.............................22

World Bank Open Knowledge Repository.....................23

In the Dark.................................................................... 19

World Development Report 2026....................................1

Focus on Asia................................................................18

www.worldbank.org/publications • books@worldbank.org

Shifting Sands................................................................14

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