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Finance & Private Sector Development


A well-functioning financial system and a vigorous private sector are important drivers of growth and poverty reduction. Finance is central to private sector development and vice versa, and large parts of both sub-disciplines revolve around the behavior and performance of firms.

Featured
  • Green finance zeni 780

    Designing Better Green Finance: Insights for the Next Generation of Sustainable Investment

    Policy Research Talk, November 26, 2024
    Climate finance is essential for achieving the Paris Agreement's goals, but effectively scaling up investments requires understanding how financial markets interact with these regulations and addressing barriers like greenwashing and misaligned incentives. In this Policy Research Talk, Federica Zeni will highlight new research insights that can help global stakeholders design better regulatory and financial mechanisms to reduce carbon emissions and promote sustainable investments.
  • Technical Note, September 2024
    This technical note examines the state of access to and use of financial services for micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in Lao PDR. Based on extensive interviews with key private and public stakeholders, data collection efforts, and desk reviews of existing reports, laws, regulations, and policies, it provides an overview of the current status of financial inclusion for MSMEs and the enabling environment for MSME finance.
  • Postcard for the event on The Global Findex, Financial Inclusion & Resilience

    The Global Findex, Financial Inclusion & Resilience

    Policy Research Talk, November 15, 2022
    The COVID-19 pandemic increased digital adoption worldwide, as people sought alternative ways to address daily needs without face-to-face contact. Results from the latest Global Findex survey¡ªconducted in 2021 in 123 countries with more than 125,000 respondents during the COVID-19 pandemic¡ªoffer insights into how digitalization of payments contributed to increases in financial inclusion. In this Policy Research Talk, World Bank Lead Economist and Global Findex founder Leora Klapper will discuss the latest Global Findex findings, how technology has expanded access to financial services, the opportunities to close the remaining gaps, and the areas that countries need to focus on moving ahead.
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    The Global Findex Database 2021: Financial Inclusion, Digital Payments, and Resilience in the Age of COVID-19

    Global Database, June 2022
    Financial inclusion is a cornerstone of development, and since 2011, the Global Findex Database has been the definitive source of data on global access to financial services from payments to savings and borrowing. The 2021 edition, based on nationally representative surveys of over 125,000 adults in 123 economies during the COVID-19 pandemic, contains updated indicators on access to and use of formal and informal financial services and digital payments, and offers insights into the behaviors that enable financial resilience.
  • Flagship Report, March 2022
    This report examines the central role of finance in the economic recovery from COVID-19. Based on an in-depth look at the consequences of the crisis most likely to affect low- and middle-income economies, it advocates a set of policies and measures to mitigate the interconnected economic risks stemming from the pandemic, risks that may become more acute as stimulus measures are withdrawn at both the domestic and global levels.
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    Data from Secondary Markets: Insights and Implications for Development

    Policy Research Talk, March 22, 2022
    Since the Great Recession cross-border financial assets have grown nearly 60 percent. While cross-border bank lending has stayed relatively constant, cross-border portfolios and market-based finance have grown tremendously. In this talk, World Bank economist Alvaro Pedraza sheds light on this pressing issue with recent insights from the Colombian Stock Exchange (CSE).
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    World Development Report 2021: Data for Better Lives¡ªResearch Directions and Measuring Country Capacity

    Policy Research Talk, May 25, 2021
    In this Policy Research Talk, members of the report team illustrate the potential to combine private and public intent data to yield timelier, more granular insights to confront policy challenges, as well as research findings from data quality experiments and assessments. The team presents new data sources released in conjunction with the report.

LATEST WORKING PAPERS


Esteban Ferro, Davide S. Mare, Faruk Miguel Liriano, Fausto Pati?o Pe?a, Maria Gabriela Rodriguez Quezada, Federica Zeni
World Bank Policy Research Working Paper 10944, October 2024


Francisco Campos, Michael Frese, Leonardo Iacovone, Hillary C. Johnson, David McKenzie, Mona Mensmann
World Bank Policy Research Working Paper 10938, October 2024


Jacobus Cilliers, Nour Elashmawy, David McKenzie
World Bank Policy Research Working Paper 10931, September 2024


Robert Cull, Indermit Gill, Alvaro Pedraza, Claudia Ruiz-Ortega, Federica Zeni
World Bank Policy Research Working Paper 10838, July 2024


Sasha Indarte, Martin Kanz
World Bank Policy Research Working Paper 10819, June 2024


Ana P. Cusolito, Roberto N. Fattal-Jaef, Davide S. Mare, Akshat V. Sing
World Bank Policy Research Working Paper 10811, June 2024


LATEST JOURNAL ARTICLES

Eliana Carranza, David McKenzie
Journal of Economic Perspectives, vol. 38, Winter 2024 |

Asli Demirg¨¹?-Kunt, Alvaro Pedraza, Fredy Pulga, Claudia Ruiz-Ortega
IMF Economic Review, vol. 72, June 2024 |

Elwyn Davies, Peter Deffebach, Leonardo Iacovone, David McKenzie
Journal of Development Economics, vol. 167, March 2024 |

David McKenzie
ľ¹ÏÓ°Ôº Research Observer, vol. 39, February 2024 |

Alessandro Maffioli, David McKenzie, Diego Ubfal
Economic Development and Cultural Change, vol. 72, October 2023 |

Tijan L. Bah, Catia Batista, Flore Gubert, David McKenzie
Journal of Development Economics, vol. 165, October 2023 |


BOOKS AND REPORTS

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This timely Handbook collates a range of evidence from top scholars in the field to help readers understand who microfinance reaches, how it helps, and why clients come back. It offers updated views on important concepts that enable a broader framework for understanding poverty and the corresponding financial needs of poor households.

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World Development Report 2022: Finance for an Equitable Recovery
World Development Report 2022: Finance for an Equitable Recovery examines the central role of finance in the economic recovery from the pandemic. 

Download Main Messages:   |  |  |  |  | | 

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The Global Findex Database 2021: Financial Inclusion, Digital Payments, and Resilience in the Age of COVID-19
The 2021 edition of the Global Findex Database contains updated indicators on access to and use of formal and informal financial services and digital payments, and offers insights into the behaviors that enable financial resilience.

The Global Findex Database 2021 |   |  Video |  Press Release |  Download Report |  Executive Summary

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World Development Report 2021: Data for Better Lives 
This report explores the tremendous potential of the changing data landscape to improve the lives of poor people, while also acknowledging its potential to open back doors that can harm individuals, businesses, and societies. 

Download Main Messages:  |  | |  |  |  | 

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Global Financial Development Report 2019 / 2020: Bank Regulation and Supervision a Decade after the Global Financial Crisis
Drawing on 10 years of data and analysis, the 5th edition of the report reflects on the causes of the crisis and the regulatory remedies adopted to prevent future financial troubles.

Report |  Video |   |   |  Previous Reports

 

Last Updated: Nov 06, 2024





MANAGER

Robert Cull

World Development Report 2021 Co-Director and Research Manager, Finance and Private Sector
Research Staff »