When average incomes rise, the average incomes of the poorest fifth of society rise proportionately. This holds across regions, periods, income levels, and growth rates. But relatively little is known about the broad forces that account for the variations across countries and across time in the...

Greater fiscal decentralization is consistently associated with lower mortality rates. And its positive effects on infant mortality are greater in institutional environments that promote political rights

In Asia inequality in income between countries is more important than inequality within countries. In Africa, Latin America, and western Europe and North America, by contrast, there are only small differences between countries; inequality within countries is more important. And when countries...

The principle underlying trends in Bank education projects is that strengthening the private sector's role in noncompulsory education over time will release public resources for the compulsory (primary) level. The public and private sectors have complementary roles to play