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Women, Business and the Law

The World Bank Group’s Women, Business and the Law (WBL) is a global benchmarking project that measures how laws, regulations, and policies shape women’s economic opportunities and private sector development across 190 economies. WBL data and analysis guide countries in identifying opportunities for reforms that unlock women’s economic potential and drive job creation and economic growth.

Global Economic Prospects, January 2026

The global economy has shown notable resilience to heightened trade tensions and policy uncertainty. Last year’s faster-than-expected pace of growth capped a recovery from the 2020 recession unmatched in six decades, even if vulnerable emerging market and developing economies are lagging behind. This year, global growth is projected to edge down, in part as firms scale back inventory accumulation and tariff effects intensify.

Building Human Capital Where It Matters: Homes, Neighborhoods, and Workplaces

uman capital —people’s health, skills, knowledge, and experience— is the foundation of economic growth and poverty reduction and of a workforce ready for the jobs of the future. Yet progress in building human capital has slowed, and in many places, declined.

This report brings new evidence on how human capital is formed, showing that homes, neighborhoods, and workplaces play a central role.

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From Risk to Resilience: Helping People and Firms Adapt in South Asia
South Asia is the most climate-vulnerable region among emerging market and developing economies. With governments having limited room to act due to fiscal constraints, the burden of climate adaptation will fall primarily on households and firms.
Global Economic Prospects, January 2026
The global economy is facing another substantial headwind, emanating largely from an increase in trade tensions and heightened global policy uncertainty. For emerging market and developing economies (EMDEs), the ability to boost job creation and reduce extreme poverty has declined.
Women, Business and the Law 2026: Benchmarking Laws for Jobs and Inclusive Growth
Women, Business and the Law 2026 is the 11th in a series of annual studies measuring the laws and policies that affect women’s economic opportunity in 190 economies. The 2026 edition presents an updated Women, Business and the Law 2.0, a new framework that assesses three pillars capturing both de jure and de facto dimensions of gender equality: legal frameworks, supportive frameworks, and enforcement perceptions.
A Healthy Future: Primary Health Care and the Chronic Disease Epidemic in East Asia and Pacific
In East Asia and Pacific (EAP), people are living longer but not necessarily healthier lives. As populations age and urbanize, an epidemic of chronic diseases including diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease is taking hold, affecting workers in their prime, eroding productivity, and escalating health care costs.
World Development Report 2025: Standards for Development
World Development Report 2025: Standards for Development provides the most comprehensive assessment of the global landscape of standards today and how they can be used to accelerate economic development.
Building Human Capital Where It Matters: Homes, Neighborhoods, and Workplaces
Human capital—the health, knowledge, skills, and experience that people accumulate throughout their lives—is essential for productivity and economic growth. Yet, progress has stalled, and there have even been reversals in human capital accumulation over the last 15 years.