Russia's spatial disparities stem largely from its economic geography, which is unique and has no parallels even when compared to seemingly similar countries such as Australia and Canada. While Australia and Canada also have large land masses and even lower population densities than Russia, a...

A recovery in the oil sector boosted recent economic performance. While the recovery in global oil prices would have a welcoming effect for Kazakhstan in terms of enhancing the economy's buffers and supporting growth, it may also reduce the perceived urgency for transitioning to the new growth...

Ghana has been a rising growth star and a beacon of hope in West Africa. Strong economic growth over the past two decades led to a near doubling of GDP per capita, lifting the country through the threshold for middle-income status in 2011. GDP per capita grew by an average of 3 percent per year...

People have used steel since ancient times, after blacksmiths discovered that iron became harder and stronger after being placed in charcoal furnaces. Today, steel is present in virtually every aspect of people's lives, from homes and hospitals to roads and other infrastructure that provide the...

After a weak performance in the first half of 2019, helped by monetary easing, faster public spending and some one-off effects, economic growth in Russia picked up in the third quarter at 1.7 percent, y/y. Consequently, our 2019 forecast has been revised upwards to 1.2 percent (from its previous...

The Country Opinion Survey in Russia assists the World Bank Group (WBG) in gaining a better understanding of how stakeholders in Russia perceive the WBG. It provides the WBG with systematic feedback from national and local governments, multilateral/bilateral agencies, media, academia, the...

In China, changing demographics, rising incomes and shifting consumer preferences have resulted in an ever-growing demand for food that is more varied, healthier and of higher quality and this demand is set to persist well into the future. According to International Monetary Fund projections...

Russia's agricultural sector has potential to make a significant contribution to global food supply in the coming century. The country's agriculture is now, however, under-performing. Production continues to decline and productivity is low. At a time when world grain stocks are at historic lows,...

The Country Opinion Survey in Vietnam assists the World Bank Group (WBG) in gaining a better understanding of how stakeholders in Vietnam perceive the WBG. It provides the WBG with systematic feedback from national and local governments, multilateral/bilateral agencies, media, academia, the...