Remittance flows remained resilient in 2020, registering a smaller decline than previously projected. Remittance flows to low- and middle-income countries reached $540 billion in 2020, just 1.6 percent below the 2019 total of $548 billion, according to the latest ’s . The decline in 2020 was smaller than the one during the 2009 global financial crisis, mostly due to the fiscal stimulus that resulted in better-than-expected economic conditions in host countries.
World Bank
The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of digital technologies in African countries, and the latest provides new evidence on how digital is enhancing the productivity of existing jobs and creating new jobs, for people of all skill levels and backgrounds.
At a time when we face enormous challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, it is heartening to see the world mobilizing as never before to tackle the looming crisis of global warming. From renewable energy to carbon markets to sustainable agriculture, countries are taking steps to address emissions and enhance resilience. But despite all the positive momentum, there is one area in particular that requires urgent action: transport. Without decarbonizing transport, no scenario for achieving the 1.5-degree climate goal is feasible, and there we are currently heading in the wrong direction. The global transport sector emits around 24 percent of the world’s total energy-related carbon emissions, and this is expected to grow by 60 percent by 2050.
While the past year has been , there have been remarkable stories of human resilience, ingenuity, and creativity. From helping small companies weather the pandemic, through supporting women firefighters, creating sustainable jobs for youth, connecting people to high-quality healthcare and vulnerable groups to food suplies, to kickstarting sanitizer production - the shares of hope from around the globe. These are not billion-dollar projects, but the tales of everyday entrepreneurship and innovation happening on a small scale with a big impact.
The global COVID-19 vaccination campaign will be the largest in history. The delivery of COVID-19 vaccines presents challenges unprecedented in scale, speed, and specificities, especially in low- and middle-income countries. Anticipating the availability of safe and effective vaccines, the together with WHO, UNICEF, the Global Fund, and Gavi rolled out readiness assessments in more than 100 low and middle-income countries. As countries ramp up efforts to vaccinate their populations, the world’s poorest countries show varying degrees of readiness.
Nearly every business in the world has been affected by COVID-19. While one-fourth of companies saw sales falling 50 percent in October-January from pre-pandemic levels, a third said their sales increased or stayed the same. Capturing the impact of the pandemic on businesses, the World Bank reflects the performance of more than 120,000 firms in over 60 countries. The assessment is expected to help inform recovery efforts. In developing countries, despite government programmes – businesses most affected by the shock – were the least likely to receive government support.
Not long ago, the 74 poorest countries in the world were well on the path to a better, more prosperous future. But COVID-19 is threatening all that. Today, health workers, teachers, students, employees, scientists, women, men and many others are weaving stories of resilience in the midst of this crisis.
How to support survivors of gender-based violence (GBV) in fragile and conflict-affected regions where health facilities are scarce and often out of capacity? In this video, 2018 Nobel Peace Prize laureate Dr.
COVID-19 is wreaking havoc on the lives of young children, students, and youth. Even before COVID-19 hit, the world was experiencing a learning crisis. 258 million children of primary- and secondary-school age were out of school. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the learning crisis, and the impact on the human capital of this generation of learners is likely to be long-lasting. And the unique nature of the pandemic places parents as first-line responders for children’s survival, care, and learning. This places a burden on all families, especially the most vulnerable. The is supporting COVID-19 response investments in 62 countries, covering the entire cycle from early childhood to higher education.
Although global economic output is recovering from its COVID-19 collapse, the shows it will remain below pre-pandemic trends for a prolonged period.
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact our lives, the provides an overview in 12 charts and graphics, of its research in the face of a truly unprecedented crisis.
The World Bank is providing US$12 billion to help low-and middle-income countries get ready to deploy vaccines, including expanding storage, building cold chains, developing data and tracking systems, training health workers, and building trust in immunizations through citizen and community engag
The World Bank Group has mounted the fastest and largest health crisis response in its history to save lives from COVID-19. The first operations focused on strengthening health systems to tackle the immediate challenges of COVID-19. In countries ranging from Afghanistan and Haiti to India, Mongolia, and Tajikistan, World Bank financing brought more medical staff onboard and ensured that they were well trained and equipped to deliver emergency care. It also helped ensure that public outreach messages to citizens on prevention and protection were quickly disseminated.
This year’s publication guides readers through the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) using interactive storytelling and innovative data visualizations.
Like water, data can shape the world. World Bank Water data aggregates thousands of datasets across organizations and countries to help decision makers develop policies based on solid evidence as well as help researchers better understand needs to formulate solutions.