After its worst economic crisis in 100 years, Latin America and the Caribbean countries are emerging from the COVID-19 pandemic. The need to recover dynamic, inclusive, and sustainable growth to redress both the legacy of the pandemic and long-standing social needs has never been more acute....

Following a collapse in the first quarter of 2020, economic activity in China has normalized faster than expected, aided by an effective pandemic-control strategy, strong policy support, and resilient exports. While swift, the recovery has been uneven, with domestic demand recovering more slowly...

The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant adverse impact on the Tajik economy. Real GDP growth slowed to 4.2 percent year-on-year in the first nine months of 2020, compared to 7.2 percent a year earlier. Restrictions on labor mobility and economic activity at home and abroad resulted in lower...

This systematic country diagnostic is structured in two main parts, one backward looking and the other forward looking. The backward-looking analysis aims to draw lessons on the determinants of poverty and sustainable and inclusive growth from (a) stakeholder consultations; (b) a poverty profile;...

Despite continuing external challenges, economic output rose strongly in 2016 according to official estimates. Driven mainly by foreign-financed public and private investment, real gross domestic product (GDP) expanded by a robust 6.9 percent. At the same time, a protracted decline in real...

The Lao economy is estimated to have grown at around 7 percent in 2016, a slight moderation from 7.4 percent in the previous year. Inflation pressures remain low, though prices increased faster in the second half of the year as oil prices recovered. The fiscal deficit widened significantly in...

Thailand has made tremendous progress toward the twin goals of eliminating extreme poverty and boosting shared prosperity. Notably, Thailand has achieved these gains despite high political instability, with short-lived constitutions and frequent military coups. However, continued instability...

Over the past few decades, Thailand has made tremendous progress toward the twin goals of eliminating extreme poverty and boosting shared prosperity. Thailand has achieved these gains despite high political instability. Growth has been slowing, and continued instability could affect future...

The Country Economic Memorandum (CEM) focuses on long-term growth, outlining the challenges Papua New Guinea (PNG) faces to achieve sufficient economic growth to expand the incomes of its rapidly growing population as well as what is required for PNG to make the transition to a higher, more...

Iraq's economy is gradually emerging from the deep recession caused by the pandemic and the plunge in oil prices in 2020. Higher oil revenues pushed Iraq's overall fiscal and external balances into a surplus in 2021. The turnaround in oil markets has significantly improved Iraq's economic...