Our Mission

In 107 of 114 economies, there are fewer female than male STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) graduates. Among every 10 STEM graduates in South Korea, Chile, Burundi, Cambodia, and Burkina Faso, only less than 2 are girls. In this digital age, the demand for STEM graduates far exceeds its supply. This disparity in professional choices reflects a missed opportunity. Encouraging more girls into STEM can help fill the supply gap. Read More.

Globally, immunization against the disease among children ages 12-23 months has risen from 69% in 1992 to 85% in 2017.  During the same period, reported cases of measles have fallen from over 27 incidents per 100,000 people in 1992 to just over 2 incidents per 100,000 people in 2017. Sub-Saharan Africa has had the highest number of measles incidents but has also witnessed a sharp decline in reported cases from nearly 109 incidents per 100,000 people (or one incident per 1,000 people) in 1992 to 9 incidents in 2017. Read more.

Oil prices will moderate from their current highs and be lower on average in 2019 than in 2018 on slower-than-expected global growth and rising non-OPEC production, according to our latest Commodity Markets Outlook. Metal, agriculture prices are on track to stage a partial recovery, with momentum likely to pick up in 2020. Here's the Commodity Markets Outlook in six charts. Explore the Data.

The new Women Business and the Law index shows that most of the world moved towards gender equality over the past decade. Ten years ago, the global average score was 70.06. Since then 131 economies made 274 legal changes towards gender equality. This led to a 4.65 point increase in the average global score, to 74.71 today. This is a significant achievement—but it also means that women still have only three-fourths of the legal rights of men in the measured areas. Read More.

The post-secondary level is where a stark gender gap emerges for STEM education. Globally there are more women enrolled than men in universities and graduation rates for women are higher. However, Sub-Saharan Africa is an exception.

Despite higher rates of enrollment and graduation at a global level, women are less likely to major in specific STEM fields. Only 7% of women choose to study engineering, manufacturing and construction, compared to 22% of men. Of the students pursuing careers in information, communication and technology (ICT) fields, 28% are women and 72% are men. Read more.