WDRs

The World Bank's annual World Development Report (WDR) is a guide to the economic, social and environmental state of the world today. Each year the WDR provides in depth analysis of a specific aspect of development. Past reports have considered such topics as agriculture, youth, equity, public services delivery, the role of the state, transition economies, labor, infrastructure, health, the environment, and poverty. The reports are the Bank's best-known contribution to thinking about development. More about WDRs.  |  Synopsis of the last ten years' WDRs (1995-2005)

Upcoming World Development Reports

World Development Report 2009: Reshaping Economic Geography
Economic activity becomes increasingly concentrated with development.  As this happens, substantial disparities in welfare can emerge between rural and urban areas, between leading and lagging regions within countries and, perhaps most dramatically, between countries in different parts of the world. The objective of the report, "Reshaping Economic Geography" is to identify and understand the interactions between economic geography, growth, and living standards, and to draw the implications of these interactions for policy. WDR 2009 charts the changes in the three spatial
dimensions of economic activity and household welfare: rising density, falling distance and persisting division. The WDR will highlight the dimensions and significance of spatial forces that shape economic development; and recommend policies to facilitate the spatial transformations necessary to sustain economic growth, reduce disparities in welfare, and reduce poverty. The report aims to reframe three important policy debates: on urbanization in developing countries; on territorial development policies; and on the pros and cons of regional integration.

Recent World Development Reports

World Development Report 2008: Agriculture for Development
In the 21st century, agriculture continues to be a fundamental instrument for sustainable development and poverty reduction. Three of every four poor people in developing countries live in rural areas—2.1 billion living on less than $2 a day and 880 million on less than $1 a day—and most depend on agriculture for their livelihoods. Given, where they are and what they do best, promoting agriculture is imperative for meeting the Millennium Development Goal of halving poverty and hunger by 2015 and reducing poverty and hunger for several decades thereafter. Agriculture alone will not be enough to massively reduce poverty, but it is an essential component of effective development strategies for most developing countries, says the report.
Published October, 2007

World Development Report 2007: Development and the Next Generation
The theme of the WDR 2007 is youth—young people between the ages of 12 to 24. The report focuses on crucial capabilities and transitions in a young person's life: learning for life and work, staying healthy, working, forming families, and exercising citizenship. 
Published September, 2006