The World Bank in Europe and Central Asia

The World Bank Group works with countries in Europe and Central to effectively eliminate poverty and boost shared prosperity by supporting clients in three overall areas: sustainable and inclusive growth, human capital, and resilience.

Europe and Central Asia
Overview

Featured

Bulgaria, Hungary and Romania

Doing Business in EU

Smaller cities in Bulgaria and Hungary are more business-friendly as they vie to compete with their respective capitals.

Global Economic Prospects

A Fragile Recovery

Growth in Europe and Central Asia continued to pick up, with commodity exporters and importers alike achieving recovery.

BLOG

Imagining Armenia’s Future

Listening to youth voices and respecting their right to be heard should be at the heart of any development goals.

Countries

Region At-a-Glance

After turbulent times, growth is stabilizing in Europe and Central Asia at around 1.8%. In the European Union a sustained, albeit modest, recovery has started to reduce unemployment and has pushed inflation into positive territory. In Eastern Europe the stabilization of oil prices has provided some breathing room for governments that have begun adjusting policies to the lower level of oil prices.

Overview

Data

Project

Climate Adaptation Project in Moldova (US$ 27.2 M)

The project will help reduce the vulnerability of rural households, which represent a disproportionately high share of the poor, to the impacts of climate change, and enhance the capacity of government institutions, key stakeholders, communities and the public to manage climate change risks.

Projects

Research

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Economic Update May 11, 2017

Trade in Transition in Europe and Central Asia

Economic Update Nov 22, 2016

Polarization and Populism in Europe and Central Asia

Report Mar 07, 2017

Reaping Digital Dividends

Economic Report Apr 06, 2017

Faster Growth, More Jobs in Western Balkans

Europe & Central Asia in Figures

Political rifts, social tensions, and geopolitical conflicts have dominated recent news about ECA. But the economic news has been positive. In the European Union, recovery is being sustained, with 2017 and 2018 likely the fourth and fifth consecutive years in which growth will average almost 2%. In Central Asia, activity is rebounding after the fall in oil prices at the end of 2014. In the South Caucasus, near-term growth prospects are much weaker than in the western part of the ECA region. After a 2.2% contraction in 2016, no growth is expected this year, and growth of just 1.6% is projected for 2018. Read more...

Countries in the Western Balkans are growing at a faster pace than in 2015, with regional growth projected to be 2.8 percent in 2016 and 3.2 percent in 2017, according to the latest World Bank Western Balkans Regular Economic Report (WB RER). Accelerating growth in Albania and Serbia compensated for weaker expansion in Montenegro and the Former Yugoslav Republic (FYR) of Macedonia; while growth in Kosovo slowed in 2016, it remained the fastest growing economy.