February 18, 2026

Public Workforce Performance and Prosperity: Data Charts

Public Workforce Performance and Prosperity interactive data charts

The Public Workforce Performance and Prosperity global report brings novel data analytics to the study of public administration and focuses on how to make the world’s 400 million public sector workers more effective in performing their core government functions to achieve better development outcomes. The report draws on the largest cross-national datasets on public sector employment, wages, and management practices in the world.

Explore the key data from the report.

A reproducibility package is available for this report in the Reproducible Research Repository: 

https://reproducibility.worldbank.org/catalog/447

FIGURE ES.3: Public sector workers generally earn more than their private sector counterparts Log GDP

FIGURE ES.4: Many public sector workers have not taken any training in the past year

FIGURE 2.1 Public sector employment is higher in richer countries

FIGURE 2.4: The public sector is a larger employer of women than the private sector

FIGURE 2.8 Public servants are not always hired through a competition

FIGURE 2.17 The public sector wage bill is uncorrelated with fiscal deficits

FIGURE 3.4 Public sector workers do not feel safe reporting on corruption

FIGURE 4.3 Training on foundational digital skills is often lacking

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Figure ES.3 - Source: Worldwide Bureaucracy Indicators. Note: The y-axis gives the public sector wage premium compared to all private sector paid employees.
Figure ES.4 - Source: Bureaucracy Lab surveys, 2016–2025.
Figure 2.1- Source: Worldwide Bureaucracy Indicators. Note: Public sector employment includes workers in central governments, local governments, and state-owned enterprises. Each circle represents a country.
Figure 2.4 - Source: Worldwide Bureaucracy Indicators. Note: The 45-degree line denotes parity between the two sectors.
Figure 2.8 - Source: Bureaucracy Lab surveys, 2016–2025.
Figure 2.17 - Source: Based on World Bank Worldwide Bureaucracy Indicators, World Bank World Development Indicators, IMF World Economic Outlook.
Figure 3.4 - Source: Bureaucracy Lab surveys, 2016-2025.
Figure 4.3 - Source: Bureaucracy Lab surveys, 2016–2025. Note: “Received training": This asks whether the respondent has received any training in the last 12 months."Training on equipment": For those who answered “yes” to receiving training, this inquires whether the training was in the use of equipment and hardware. "Training on IT systems": For those who answered “yes” to receiving training, this asks whether the training was in the use of IT systems and software.

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