Early Childhood Development

After unprecedented regional shocks and uncertainty in recent years, the World Bank Group has pivoted its effort in Europe and Central Asia to boost resilience and protect and strengthen the foundations for future prosperity.

$26.5 Billion in Education Financing for Developing countries

Our projects reach 425 million students in low- and middle-income countries

Current education investments in 85 countries

According to the World Bank's latest economic report for Latin America and the Caribbean, the regional economy will grow by 2.1 percent in 2025, picking up to 2.4 percent in 2026, making it the lowest-growing region in the world. Low investment, high indebtedness, and a changing external environment pose major obstacles to the region's development.

Long-term solutions to building resilient economies require the creation of quality jobs. The region's labor market faces the challenge of transforming itself in the face of the development of new technologies, in addition to other challenges such as low productivity, deficiencies in education, and gaps in workers' skills.

The World Bank works to strengthen the creation of quality jobs, especially for the most hard-to-reach groups, such as women and youth. According to recent data, the labor force participation rate for women in the region is 68%, compared to 93% for men.

For youth, one of the main challenges to accessing better jobs is linked to gaps in education and skills. According to the latest results of the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), implemented by the OECD – three out of four 15-year-olds do not reach basic level in mathematics and one out of two is below the expected average in reading. On average, 15-year-old students in the region are five years behind an average student in OECD countries. Recovery is complex but possible and should be addressed immediately.

Connectivity is critical to laying the foundation for a prosperous and resilient future. Currently, a lack of digital infrastructure means that around 17 million workers cannot access the benefits of the latest technologies to improve their job prospects and raise wages.

There is also an urgent need to improve countries' resilience to climate events that have already inflicted substantial economic and social losses.

QA--After unprecedented regional shocks and uncertainty in recent years, the World Bank Group has pivoted its effort in Europe and Central Asia to boost resilience and protect and strengthen the foundations for future prosperity.

• $26.5 Billion in Education Financing for Developing countries
• Our  projects reach 425 million students  in low- and middle-income countries
• Current education investments in 85 countries

According to the World Bank's latest economic report for Latin America and the Caribbean, the regional economy will grow by 2.1 percent in 2025, picking up to 2.4 percent in 2026, making it the lowest-growing region in the world. Low investment, high indebtedness, and a changing external environment pose major obstacles to the region's development.

Long-term solutions to building resilient economies require the creation of quality jobs. The region's labor market faces the challenge of transforming itself in the face of the development of new technologies, in addition to other challenges such as low productivity, deficiencies in education, and gaps in workers' skills.

The World Bank works to strengthen the creation of quality jobs, especially for the most hard-to-reach groups, such as women and youth. According to recent data, the labor force participation rate for women in the region is 68%, compared to 93% for men.

For youth, one of the main challenges to accessing better jobs is linked to gaps in education and skills. According to the latest results of the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), implemented by the OECD – three out of four 15-year-olds do not reach basic level in mathematics and one out of two is below the expected average in reading. On average, 15-year-old students in the region are five years behind an average student in OECD countries. Recovery is complex but possible and should be addressed immediately.

Connectivity is critical to laying the foundation for a prosperous and resilient future. Currently, a lack of digital infrastructure means that around 17 million workers cannot access the benefits of the latest technologies to improve their job prospects and raise wages.

There is also an urgent need to improve countries' resilience to climate events that have already inflicted substantial economic and social losses.

• Coalition for Foundational Learning
• Commitment to Action on Foundational Learning
• MasterCard Foundation
• UNESCO Institute for Statistics
• Gates Foundation