World Bank - World Development Report (WDR): 200 Core Economic Indicator

 

The World Development Report (WDR): Standards for Development

The World Development Report (WDR) is the World Bank’s premier annual flagship publication, designed to provide a deep analytical dive into a specific, critical aspect of global development. Unlike the data-heavy World Development Indicators, which serves as a vast repository of thousands of metrics, the WDR focuses on a single "Core Theme" each year—such as the 2025 theme: Standards for Development—to offer a practical framework for policymakers. While the report is narrative-driven, it is anchored by a curated selection of "Key Indicators" found in its statistical annex. These indicators (typically numbering around 120 high-impact series) are chosen from the broader database to provide a definitive snapshot of how countries are progressing relative to the year's specific theme, such as their ability to meet international quality standards, adapt to digital transformations, or escape the middle-income trap.

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Understanding the 2025-2026 WDR Focus

As we move into 2026, the World Development Report has transitioned from just reporting numbers to creating "Strategic Frameworks." The most recent indicators added to the WDR's core tables reflect the urgent need for Quality Infrastructure and Standardization.

WDR Thematic Era	Core Objective	Key Indicator Focus
WDR 2024	Avoiding the Middle-Income Trap	Innovation, Schumpeterian growth, and structural change.
WDR 2025	Standards for Development	ISO certifications, technical regulations, and market alignment.
WDR 2026	Future of Human Capital (Expected)	AI-driven labor markets, digital identity, and lifelong learning.

Why the "Thousands" are narrowed down for the WDR

While the World Bank tracks thousands of data points, the WDR editors select the most "telling" indicators to include in the physical report. This is because:

1. Policy Relevance: The WDR aims to solve a problem (e.g., "how to fix education"), so it only shows data that helps prove a solution.

2. Comparability: Every indicator in the WDR must be comparable across at least 150+ countries to make the global analysis valid.

3. Actionability: The WDR prioritizes "input" indicators (like government spending or laws) that leaders can actually change, rather than just "outcome" indicators (like GDP).

Key Indicators Highlighted in Recent WDRs (181–200+)

To round out your knowledge of the indicators prioritized within the WDR itself, these final metrics are often used in the report's "Spotlight" sections:

• Indicator 181 (ISO 9001 Density): The number of firms per 1,000 workers that have international quality certification—a key metric for the 2025 report.

• Indicator 182 (Digital Payments): The % of adults using digital platforms to pay bills, used to measure "Digital Dividends."

• Indicator 183 (Learning Poverty): A composite metric measuring children who cannot read a basic text by age 10.

World Bank - World Development Report (WDR) Indicator

Category	#	Indicator Name	Unit / Measurement
Economic	1	GDP per capita (PPP)	Current International $
	2	GDP Growth	Annual %
	3	Inflation (Consumer Prices)	Annual %
	4	Agriculture, Forestry, & Fishing	% of GDP
	5	Gross Capital Formation	% of GDP
Poverty	6	Poverty Headcount Ratio	% of pop. living below $2.15/day
	7	Gini Index	Measure of Income Inequality
	8	Income Share held by lowest 20%	% of Total Income
Education	9	School Enrollment (Primary)	% Gross
	10	Literacy Rate (Adult)	% of people ages 15+
	11	Government Expenditure on Education	% of GDP
Health	12	Life Expectancy at Birth	Total Years
	13	Mortality Rate (Under-5)	Per 1,000 live births
	14	Prevalence of Stunting	% of children under 5
Environment	15	CO2 Emissions	Metric tons per capita
	16	Access to Electricity	% of Population
	17	Forest Area	% of Land Area
Social/Tech	18	Individuals using the Internet	% of Population
	19	Labor Force Participation Rate	% of total pop. ages 15-64
	20	Fertility Rate	Births per woman

Category	#	WDR Indicator Name	Typical Unit
Education	21	Primary Completion Rate	% of relevant age group
	22	Secondary School Enrollment	% Gross
	23	Tertiary School Enrollment	% Gross
	24	Youth Literacy Rate	% of people ages 15–24
Health	25	Neonatal Mortality Rate	Per 1,000 live births
	26	Incidence of Tuberculosis	Per 100,000 people
	27	Prevalence of Undernourishment	% of population
	28	Immunization, Measles	% of children ages 12–23 mo
Gender	29	Life Expectancy at Birth (Female)	Years
	30	Life Expectancy at Birth (Male)	Years
	31	Teenage Pregnancy Rate	Births per 1,000 women (15–19)
Economy/Trade	32	Exports of Goods and Services	% of GDP
	33	Imports of Goods and Services	% of GDP
	34	Current Account Balance	% of GDP
	35	Gross Savings	% of GDP
States & Markets	36	Tax Revenue	% of GDP
	37	Military Expenditure	% of GDP
	38	Time Required to Start a Business	Days
Environment	39	PM2.5 Air Pollution	Mean annual exposure ($\mu g/m^3$)
	40	Renewable Energy Consumption	% of total final energy use

Category	#	WDR Indicator Name	Typical Unit
Technology	41	High-technology Exports	% of manufactured exports
	42	R&D Expenditure	% of GDP
	43	Patent Applications (Residents)	Count
	44	Secure Internet Servers	Per 1 million people
Global Links	45	Net Official Development Assistance (ODA)	Current US$
	46	Net ODA Received	% of GNI
	47	Personal Remittances (Paid)	Current US$
	48	Foreign Direct Investment (Net Outflows)	% of GDP
Environment	49	Methane Emissions	kt of $CO_2$ equivalent
	50	Nitrous Oxide Emissions	kt of $CO_2$ equivalent
	51	Terrestrial Protected Areas	% of total land area
	52	Marine Protected Areas	% of territorial waters
States/Finance	53	Domestic Credit to Private Sector	% of GDP
	54	Market Capitalization of Listed Companies	% of GDP
	55	Central Government Debt (Total)	% of GDP
	56	Interest Payments	% of Expense
Sustainability	57	Adjusted Net Savings	% of GNI
	58	Energy Intensity Level of Primary Energy	MJ / $2017 PPP GDP
	59	Total Natural Resources Rents	% of GDP
	60	Urban Population Growth	Annual %

Category	#	WDR Indicator Name	Typical Unit
Poverty/Wealth	61	Poverty Headcount at $4.20/day	% (Lower-Middle Income line)
	62	Poverty Headcount at $8.30/day	% (Upper-Middle Income line)
	63	Multidimensional Poverty Index	% of population
	64	Income Share held by highest 10%	% of Total Income
People	65	Age Dependency Ratio	Dependents per 100 working-age
	66	Population in Urban Slums	% of urban population
	67	Access to Safely Managed Water	% of population
	68	Access to Safely Managed Sanitation	% of population
Labor	69	Vulnerable Employment	% of total employment
	70	Informal Employment	% of non-agricultural employment
	71	Children in Employment (Ages 7–14)	% of children
	72	Minimum Wage	Current US$
Governance	73	CPIA Transparency & Accountability	Scale 1 (low) – 6 (high)
	74	Intentional Homicides	Per 100,000 people
	75	Refugee Population by Country of Origin	Total Count
Digital/Innovation	76	ICT Service Exports	% of service exports (BoP)
	77	Fixed Telephone Subscriptions	Per 100 people
	78	Trademark Applications	Total (Residents)
Environment	79	Renewable Internal Freshwater Resources	Cubic meters per capita
	80	Agricultural Methane Emissions	% of total emissions

Category	#	WDR Indicator Name	Typical Unit
Public Finance	81	Expense	% of GDP
	82	Subsidies & Other Transfers	% of Expense
	83	Grants & Other Revenue	% of GDP
	84	Net Lending (+) / Borrowing (-)	% of GDP
Transport	85	Air Transport, Passengers Carried	Count
	86	Railways, Goods Transported	Million ton-km
	87	Liner Shipping Connectivity Index	Maximum value = 100
	88	Quality of Port Infrastructure	Score 1 (low) – 7 (high)
States & Markets	89	Business Start-up Costs	% of GNI per capita
	90	Firms with Female Top Manager	% of firms
	91	Firms expected to give gifts for Water	% of firms
	92	Cost of Business interruptions	% of sales lost to power/water outages
Financial Sector	93	Bank Capital to Assets Ratio	%
	94	Non-performing Loans (NPLs)	% of total gross loans
	95	Automated Teller Machines (ATMs)	Per 100,000 adults
Data Integrity	96	Statistical Performance Indicator (SPI)	Overall Score (0-100)
	97	Completeness of Birth Registration	% of children under 5
	98	Completeness of Death Registration	% of deaths
Agriculture	99	Food Production Index	2014-2016 = 100
	100	Employment in Agriculture	% of total employment

Category	#	WDR Indicator Name	Typical Unit
Health & Nutrition	101	Prevalence of Overweight	% of children under 5
	102	Incidence of Malaria	Per 1,000 population at risk
	103	Tuberculosis Treatment Success Rate	% of registered cases
	104	Diabetes Prevalence	% of pop. ages 20–79
Environment	105	Coastal Protection	% of coastline protected
	106	Energy Use per capita	kg of oil equivalent
	107	CO2 Emissions from Liquid Fuel	% of total emissions
	108	Terrestrial Biodiversity Score	Index 0–100
Global Trade	109	Merchandise Trade	% of GDP
	110	Terms of Trade Index	2000 = 100
	111	Export Product Concentration	Index (Herfindahl-Hirschman)
	112	Import Tariff, Rate (Weighted Avg)	%
Social Protection	113	Coverage of Social Safety Nets	% of population
	114	Pension Coverage	% of workforce
	115	Unemployment Benefits Coverage	% of unemployed
Infrastructure	116	Container Port Throughput	TEU (20-foot equivalent units)
	117	Internet Speed (Broadband)	Average Mbps
	118	Logistics Performance Index (LPI)	Score 1 (low) – 5 (high)
Governance	119	Corruption Perception (WB Survey)	% of firms reporting bribes
	120	Government Effectiveness Score	Percentile Rank

Category	#	WDR Indicator Name	Typical Unit
Governance	121	Rule of Law Score	Percentile Rank
	122	Control of Corruption	Percentile Rank
	123	Voice and Accountability	Percentile Rank
	124	Political Stability & Absence of Violence	Percentile Rank
Human Capital	125	Human Capital Index (HCI)	Scale 0–1
	126	Learning-Adjusted Years of Schooling	Years
	127	Harmonized Test Scores	Scale 300–625
	128	Adult Survival Rate	% of 15-year-olds reaching 60
Migration	129	International Migrant Stock	% of Population
	130	Refugees by Country of Asylum	Total Count
	131	Net Migration	Total (over 5 years)
Finance/Tech	132	Commercial Bank Branches	Per 100,000 adults
	133	Borrowers from Commercial Banks	Per 1,000 adults
	134	Scientific and Technical Journal Articles	Count
	135	High-technology Imports	% of manufactured imports
The "Last Mile"	136	People Using At Least Basic Drinking Water	% (Rural)
	137	People Using At Least Basic Sanitation	% (Rural)
	138	Electric Power Consumption	kWh per capita
	139	Statistical Performance Indicator (SPI): Data Use	Score (0-100)
	140	Population in Largest City	% of urban population

Category	#	WDR Indicator Name	Typical Unit
Financial Sector	141	Real Interest Rate	%
	142	Domestic Credit to Private Sector	% of GDP
	143	Bank Nonperforming Loans	% of total gross loans
	144	Broad Money (M3)	% of GDP
Public Sector	145	Central Government Expense	% of GDP
	146	Cash Surplus / Deficit	% of GDP
	147	Debt Service (External)	% of GNI
	148	Ease of Tax Compliance	Hours per year
Environment	149	Total Greenhouse Gas Emissions	kt of $CO_2$ equivalent
	150	PM2.5 Pollution Exposure	% of pop. exceeding WHO limits
	151	Renewable Electricity Output	% of total electricity
	152	Water Productivity	Constant 2015 $ per $m^3$
People/Society	153	Prevalence of Severe Food Insecurity	% of population
	154	Incidence of Homicides	Per 100,000 people
	155	Refugees by Country of Origin	Count
	156	Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs)	Total count (conflict/disaster)
Infrastructure	157	Liner Shipping Connectivity Index	Index (max 100)
	158	Quality of Port Infrastructure	Score 1 (low) – 7 (high)
	159	Secure Internet Servers	Per 1 million people
Data Integrity	160	Completeness of Death Registration	% of total deaths

Category	#	WDR Indicator Name	Typical Unit
Digital Economy	161	Digital Legal Identity Coverage	% of population
	162	Online Service Index (OSI)	Score 0–1
	163	Mobile Money Account Ownership	% of adults (ages 15+)
	164	ICT Goods Imports	% of total goods imports
Business Climate	165	Firms with an ISO 9001 Certificate	% of firms
	166	Time to Resolve a Commercial Dispute	Days
	167	Credit Bureau Coverage	% of adults
	168	Collateral required for a loan	% of loan value
Macro/Fiscal	169	Total Natural Resources Rents	% of GDP
	170	Current Account Balance	% of GDP
	171	Stocks Traded (Total Value)	% of GDP
	172	Consumer Price Index (CPI)	Annual average
Climate/Infra	173	Droughts, Floods, and Extreme Temp	% of population affected
	174	Access to Clean Cooking (Urban)	% of urban population
	175	Logistics Performance: Tracking & Tracing	Score 1 (low) – 5 (high)
	176	Public Investment Management (PIM)	Index Score
Human Rights/Data	177	Freedom of Association (WDR Index)	Score 0–1
	178	Quality of Labor Regulations	Index (B-READY Pillar)
	179	Open Data Inventory (ODIN) Score	0–100
	180	Prevalence of Modern Slavery	Estimated per 1,000 people

Category	#	WDR Indicator Name	Typical Unit
Poverty (Deep)	181	Poverty Gap at $2.15 a day	% (Depth of poverty)
	182	Income share held by poorest 10%	% of total income
	183	Multidimensional Poverty: Health Deprivation	% of population
Education Qual.	184	Learning Poverty Rate	% of 10-year-olds unable to read
	185	Trained Teachers in Primary Education	% of total teachers
	186	Pupil-Teacher Ratio (Secondary)	Ratio
Energy/Climate	187	Energy Intensity of Primary Energy	MJ per $2021 PPP GDP
	188	Renewable Internal Freshwater Resources	Total billion $m^3$
	189	GHG Emissions from Agriculture	% of total emissions
	190	Marine Biodiversity: Fish Species Threatened	Count
Social Security	191	Old-age Pension Beneficiaries	% of statutory pension age
	192	Social Insurance Coverage	% of population
	193	Adequacy of Social Safety Net Benefits	% of total income of beneficiaries
States/Finance	194	Commercial Bank Branches	Per 100,000 adults
	195	Listed Domestic Companies (Total)	Count
	196	Market Capitalization of Listed Companies	% of GDP
Conflict/Fragility	197	State Fragility Index Score	Scale 0–25 (low–high)
	198	Disaster-related IDPs (New Displacements)	Annual count
Data Integrity	199	Statistical Performance: Data Products	Pillar Score 0–100
	200	Census Year (Most Recent)	Year

The Core Objective: Driving Global Policy through Evidence

The primary objective of the World Development Report (WDR) is to serve as a catalyst for global policy reform by providing an evidence-based, intellectual framework for solving the world's most complex development challenges. Unlike a simple data yearbook, the WDR is designed to be a policy compass; it takes the raw "thousands of indicators" and synthesizes them into actionable strategies that influence government spending, international aid, and national legislation.

The Three Pillars of the WDR Objective

1. Setting the Global Agenda: Every year, the World Bank selects a theme (e.g., the Middle-Income Trap or Standards for Development) that it believes is the most urgent hurdle for the global community. By dedicating 300+ pages of analysis to one topic, it forces that issue to the top of the agenda for presidents, finance ministers, and CEOs.

2. Bridging Theory and Practice: The report translates high-level economic theories into practical "roadmaps." For instance, in the 2024 WDR, the objective was to provide a "3i" framework (Investment, Infusion, and Innovation) to help countries transition from middle-income to high-income status.

3. Providing a Common Language for Development: By standardizing how we measure "success" (using the core 120+ indicators we discussed), the WDR ensures that a policymaker in Brazil and an analyst in Vietnam are using the same metrics to judge their progress.

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How the Objective Translates into Recent Themes

Flagship Edition	Central Policy Objective	The "Data Story"
WDR 2024	Escaping the Middle-Income Trap	Analyzing why 108 countries have stayed at 10% of US GDP for decades.
WDR 2025	Standards for Development	Exploring how "invisible infrastructure" (ISO, Wi-Fi, and health standards) creates trust and trade.
WDR 2026	Future of Human Capital	(Anticipated) Mapping how AI and digital IDs will redefine labor and social safety nets.

The "Hidden" Objective: Accountability

Beyond just advice, the WDR’s objective is to hold the global community accountable. By publishing the "Key Indicators" annex, the World Bank creates a public record of which countries are meeting international standards and which are falling behind. This "naming and shaming" via data is often what drives actual legislative change on the ground.

Organizational Architecture: The Engine Behind the WDR

The production of the World Development Report (WDR) is not the work of a single office, but a massive cross-functional effort led by the World Bank Group. It operates under a unique organizational structure that blends academic rigor with global operational expertise.

1. The Lead Unit: Development Economics (DEC)

The WDR is the "crown jewel" of the Development Economics Vice Presidency (DEC). This unit acts as the World Bank’s internal think tank and research arm.

• The Chief Economist: The entire process is overseen by the World Bank Group Chief Economist (currently Indermit Gill), who ensures the report meets the highest standards of economic scholarship.

• The WDR Team: For each report, a dedicated Core Team is assembled. This team is usually led by a Director and a Task Manager who are seasoned economists, often on temporary leave from their regular research or operational duties to focus exclusively on the year's theme.

2. Internal Collaborators: The Global Practices

While DEC leads the research, the "real world" data and case studies come from the World Bank’s Global Practices (GPs). These are the specialized departments that manage projects on the ground:

• Human Development: Contributing data on Education, Health, and Social Protection.

• Prosperity: Providing insights on Poverty, Finance, Competitiveness, and Macroeconomics.

• Planet: Offering expertise on Agriculture, Climate Change, and Environment.

• Infrastructure: Covering Energy, Digital Development, and Transport.

3. The Review Board: Executive Directors

Before the WDR is published, it must undergo a rigorous review by the Board of Executive Directors. This board consists of 25 individuals representing the World Bank's 189 member countries. Their role is to ensure the report’s findings are relevant to the diverse needs of the global community while maintaining the Bank’s institutional neutrality.

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The Production Cycle: From Idea to Flagship

Stage	Participants	Objective
Concept Note	DEC Team & Chief Economist	Define the "Problem" the year's WDR will solve.
Research & Drafting	DEC Researchers + Academic Partners	Analyze the "thousands of indicators" and write the chapters.
Internal Review	World Bank Global Practices	Ensure the theory matches operational reality on the ground.
External Review	UN Agencies, NGOs, & Think Tanks	Validate findings with outside experts (e.g., UNDP, IMF, or WTO).
Approval	Board of Executive Directors	Final institutional sign-off for global release.

4. External Partners and Peer Agencies

The World Bank often collaborates with other international organizations to ensure the WDR doesn't exist in a vacuum. For example:

• UN Agencies: Working with the UNDP on poverty metrics or the WHO on health-themed reports.

• The IMF: Collaborating on macroeconomic stability and debt indicators.

• Academic Institutions: Partnering with universities like Harvard, Oxford, or Yale to peer-review the econometric models used in the report.

The "Organization" is ultimately a global network. Even though it is branded as a World Bank report, the WDR represents a consensus of thousands of experts across the public and private sectors.

Regular Publication: The Annual Development Ritual

The World Development Report (WDR) is an annual flagship publication, a status it has maintained without interruption since its inception in 1978. This regularity makes it the primary "rhythm" of the global development community, providing a predictable schedule for the release of new economic frameworks and updated statistics.

The Publication Timeline

While the specific release date can shift depending on the complexity of the year’s theme, the WDR generally follows a consistent annual cycle:

• Launch Window: The report is typically released in the summer or early autumn (often July through September).

• Annual Meetings: Its findings are frequently a centerpiece of the World Bank/IMF Annual Meetings in October, where the world's finance ministers and central bank governors gather to discuss the global economy.

• Concept Release: About 10–12 months before the final publication, the World Bank releases a Concept Note (as seen for the WDR 2025: Standards for Development), allowing the public and academic community to provide feedback on the report's direction.

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A History of Themes: 1978 to 2026

Over nearly five decades, the WDR has documented the evolution of economic thought. Each "regular publication" serves as a time capsule of what the world prioritized at that moment.

Decade	Defining Theme Focus	Notable Reports
1980s	Structural Adjustment & Agriculture	Agriculture for Development (1982)
1990s	Poverty & The Environment	Poverty (1990); Investing in Health (1993)
2000s	Institutions & Equity	Making Services Work for Poor People (2004)
2010s	Risk, Gender, & Technology	Gender Equality (2012); Digital Dividends (2016)
2020s	Resilience, Data, & Standards	Data for Better Lives (2021); Middle-Income Trap (2024)

The Move to "Digital-First"

In recent years, the "regular publication" has evolved from a heavy physical book into a multimedia experience.

• Open Access: Since the World Bank's Open Data Initiative, the full text and all background datasets for every WDR since 1978 are available for free online.

• Interactive Data: Modern WDRs include interactive "Data Dashboards" that allow users to visualize the report’s 120+ core indicators in real-time, rather than waiting for the printed annex.

• Translations: To ensure global impact, the "Overview" section of the WDR is regularly published in over 10 languages, including Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, and Spanish.

Why the "Annual" Frequency Matters

The yearly schedule is critical because it ensures that development theory keeps pace with rapid global changes. For example, the WDR 2022 was pivoted quickly to address the financial recovery from the pandemic, while the WDR 2025 was launched to address the sudden global fragmentation of trade standards.

WDR: Frequently Asked Questions

The World Development Report (WDR) is the World Bank's most influential annual publication. Below are the essential questions and answers regarding its role and current 2026 reporting cycle.

Q: What is the primary objective of the WDR?

A: The objective is to catalyze global policy change through evidence-based research. It bridges the gap between high-level economic theory and practical governance by highlighting "macro-critical" themes—such as the 2024 focus on the "Middle-Income Trap"—to guide international investment and national legislation.

Q: Who is responsible for organizing the report?

A: The report is produced by the Development Economics (DEC) vice presidency of the World Bank. Under the oversight of the Chief Economist, a dedicated core team collaborates with internal departments (Global Practices) and external partners like the IMF and UN to ensure the data is rigorous and relevant.

Q: How often is the WDR published?

A: It is a regular annual publication. A new edition has been released every year for nearly 50 years. While the broader World Development Indicators (WDI) database is updated quarterly, the WDR provides a fresh, thematic "Strategic Annex" once a year.

Q: What is the theme for the current 2026 cycle?

A: The WDR 2026 is titled "Artificial Intelligence for Development." It investigates AI as a "general-purpose technology," exploring how developing nations can use it to "leapfrog" traditional development hurdles in health, education, and credit markets while managing risks like job displacement and data inequality.

Q: How does the World Bank ensure the report reflects "real-world" needs?

A: The Bank conducts extensive Regional Consultations. For the 2026 report, high-level meetings were held in Tokyo (December 2025) and Pretoria (March 2026) to gather insights from local policymakers and tech leaders, ensuring the report isn't just "Washington-centric."

Q: What was the focus of the previous 2025 report?

A: The WDR 2025: Standards for Development examined the "invisible infrastructure" of global trade—such as ISO certifications and technical regulations—and how mastering these standards is a prerequisite for export growth and technology diffusion.

Q: Is the WDR 2026 different from the Human Development Report (HDR)?

A: Yes. While both are flagship annual reports, the WDR is published by the World Bank and focuses on economic frameworks and institutional policy. The HDR is published by the UNDP and focuses on the Human Development Index (HDI). Interestingly, both flagships are focusing on technology and planetary pressures in the 2025–2026 cycle, with the HDR 2026 titled "An Aspirational Approach to Planetary and Human Futures."

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Glossary of Terms: WDR 2024–2026

The following terms represent the core economic frameworks and technical concepts introduced or prioritized in the most recent World Development Reports.

Term	WDR Origin	Definition
1i, 2i, 3i Strategy	WDR 2024	A progressive growth framework: 1i (Investment) for low-income; 2i (Investment + Infusion) for lower-middle; and 3i (Investment + Infusion + Innovation) for upper-middle-income countries.
Middle-Income Trap	WDR 2024	The phenomenon where a country's growth plateaus at middle-income levels, preventing it from reaching high-income status due to a failure to transition from investment-led to innovation-led growth.
Infusion	WDR 2024	The process of adopting and adapting existing foreign technologies and business practices to improve domestic productivity.
Quality Infrastructure (QI)	WDR 2025	The ecosystem of standards, metrology, accreditation, and conformity assessment required to prove products meet international safety and quality requirements.
Market Alignment	WDR 2025	The process of harmonizing domestic technical regulations with international standards to reduce trade barriers and increase export competitiveness.
General-Purpose Technology (GPT)	WDR 2026	A transformative technology (like electricity or AI) that triggers deep structural changes and productivity gains across nearly every sector of the economy.
Digital Chasm	WDR 2026	The growing inequality between nations with the computing power and data to leverage AI and those lacking the necessary digital infrastructure.
Leapfrogging	WDR 2026	The ability of developing nations to bypass traditional stages of industrial development by adopting advanced digital or AI-driven solutions directly.

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Disclaimer: This glossary is intended for informational and educational purposes only; it reflects the terminology and frameworks as presented in World Bank publications and does not constitute official financial or legal advice.