Bangladesh's economy is growing at a healthy pace and macro conditions are strong. Progress in social outcomes in Bangladesh is inspiring other countries, but deep challenges persist as the pace of poverty reduction slows down. Bangladesh labor market is dominated by low-productivity and...

Nepal's recent transition to a federal state structure provides a historic juncture to realize the role that social protection can play in achieving the constitutional goals of equity, inclusion, and prosperity. The transition to a federal structure of governance and the promulgation of a new...

The Government of the Republic of Zambia (GRZ) has an ambitious long-term vision for the nation and its people, operationalized through the national development plans. A rapid increase in public spending financed through borrowing, due to lack of a concomitant increase in public revenue, meant a...

This note assesses whether social protection programs are adequately financed in mainland Tanzania. We find that social protection programs are an important component of Government expenditures, and complements other Government social spending, including education and health spending. In recent...

This review of public expenditures on Social Protection (SP) in Nicaragua is based on the analytical framework of Social Risk Management (SRM) developed by the World Bank. The concept of managing social risk comes from the notion that certain groups in society are vulnerable to unexpected shocks...

Zimbabwe is at a critical juncture. After dollarization and favorable economic factors fueled arecovery during 2009-12, Zimbabwe today faces slowing growth, a financial crisis, increasingly erratic weather patterns and rising poverty and inequality. To help respond to these issues, the...

For most of the last two decades, Ghana's economy has been on a high growth path, which has been accompanied by significant reduction in poverty. Despite this progress, large macroeconomic imbalances threaten growth and continued poverty reduction. Rapid economic growth and poverty reduction has...

Sierra Leone is a low-income, small West African country of approximately 7.65 million population. Over the past decade, the country has made gains on several health indicators, but it faces huge challenges. Infectious diseases remain the leading causes of morbidity and mortality, but...

Tunisia faces the challenge of improving the quality of its public spending and maintaining fiscal sustainability following a decade of weak economic performance. It is critical for Tunisia to strengthen the quality of infrastructure and services, and to support inclusive growth and private...