The Seychelles Systematic Country Diagnostic (SCD) aims to identify the most pressing constraints to inclusive, sustained growth in Seychelles, based on a comprehensive search for, and analysis of, evidence. The SCD is presented using a slide deck which lays out the analysis and results. This...

Nicaragua remains one of the poorest countries in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). About 30 percent of the population lived below the official poverty line in 2014, and eight percent were considered extremely poor. GDP per capita stood at about USD 2,087 in 2015, the second lowest in LAC...

Russia is a country of global importance and great internal diversity, making it challenging to undertake acoherent country growth diagnostic. The world's largest transcontinental country spans eleven time zones in northern Eurasia. Russia is the main trading partner for many of its more than a...

Three key characteristics help shed light on Chile's development performance. First, strong institutions and sound macroeconomic policies have contributed to long-term economic growth. Second, market-oriented policies have boosted growth through productivity-enhancing reforms and helped improve...

São Tomé and Príncipe has maintained macroeconomic stability, despite many challenges. The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated long-standing socio-economic vulnerabilities, which were further compounded by persistent energy shortages and damages from the floods in end-2021. Growth declined in 2021...

Zimbabwe experienced severe exogenous shocks (cyclone Idai, protracted drought, and the COVID-19 pandemic) during 2019-20, which along with policy missteps in 2019, led to a deep recession and high inflation. Real GDP contracted cumulatively by 11.7 percent during 2019-20 and inflation reached...

The COVID-19 outbreak is leading to a sharp economic contraction and creating significant financing needs in South Africa. The IMF approved US$4.3 billion in emergency financial assistance under the Rapid Financing Instrument (RFI) to support the authorities' efforts in addressing the...

In August 2023, Gabon underwent a major political transition after a coup d'état had overthrown a decades-long regime. Despite multiple reform attempts, years of poorly managed oil wealth, weak inclusion, and stagnant incomes fragilized the political and socio-economic environment in the runup...