This report provides six policy considerations for financial sector authorities to promote competition and advance financial inclusion. Drawing on eight country case studies, it explains how regulators can use existing mandates, coordinate across sectors, and leverage infrastructure design to address market concentration and support digital financial innovation.

An interactive data platform from the World Bank tracking 75 years of global progress across people, prosperity, planet, infrastructure, and digital themes.

Report examines extending social protection to agricultural workers. Highlighting that rural areas account for more than three-quarters of the extreme poor, it identifies barriers like legal exclusion and informal employment. It presents international solutions, including flexible contribution schedules and mobile service delivery, to achieve universal coverage for rural populations.

This briefing paper explores how philanthropy can support just transitions to net zero through social protection. It examines the socio-economic risks of decarbonisation, identifies systemic coverage gaps, and highlights catalytic roles for philanthropic capital in capacity building, research, and policy alignment to ensure an inclusive transition.

This handbook provides a harmonised framework for impact reporting on social bonds. It outlines core principles, recommendations, and sector-specific metrics for categories including affordable housing, essential services, and basic infrastructure. The document aims to enhance transparency and integrity in the social bond market through standardised reporting practices.

This research examines the tradeoff between lender profits and social impact using machine learning across three countries. It demonstrates that algorithmic targeting significantly boosts profit margins in South Africa and the Philippines but may reduce financial inclusion for women and low-income borrowers unless balanced strategies are implemented.

The Global Report on Food Crises is an annual benchmark series tracking acute food insecurity, malnutrition and forced displacement in countries facing food crises. Produced by FAO, WFP and the Global Network Against Food Crises, it delivers consensus-based, multi-agency analysis to guide humanitarian and development decision-making globally.

This paper examines Kenya's 2016 interest rate regulation, which capped bank lending rates but exempted the digital platform M-Shwari. Using borrower-level administrative data and a structural model, the authors find that the M-Shwari carve-out preserved credit access for high-risk borrowers, while a uniform cap would have eliminated it entirely.

This study examines how biodiversity and ecosystem service loss affect sovereign creditworthiness across 23 countries. Using ecological-economic modelling, it finds that a partial ecosystem collapse could generate US$162 billion in additional annual debt servicing costs globally, highlighting that sovereign credit ratings are systematically underpricing nature-related financial risks.

This PDI working paper stress-tests four AI-driven labour displacement scenarios against US macro-financial data, modelling cascading losses across household debt, corporate credit, equities, pensions, insurance, and fiscal channels. Total economy-wide value at risk ranges from approximately $15–18 trillion (Light) to $62–72 trillion (Aggressive). Predistributive mechanisms are proposed as structural solutions.

This report analyses child labour trends in Uganda from 2012 to 2021, noting a decline in overall prevalence but highlighting persistent regional, gender, and age disparities. It examines underlying socio-economic drivers and outlines policy implications, recommending expanded social protection, educational access, and gender-responsive multisectoral interventions.

This report explores how inclusive financial institutions can build climate resilience for themselves and their clients. It outlines strategies for risk assessment, innovative risk financing, and adapting product offerings. By adopting a mutually beneficial approach, providers can maintain their social mission while navigating intensifying climate impacts.

This International Energy Agency report outlines measures to reduce the impact of oil supply disruptions on households and businesses. It details short-term and structural strategies across road and air transport, industry, and cooking fuels to lower demand and shield vulnerable consumers from rising energy costs.

This report analyses the global labour market risks of the Middle East crisis. It estimates significant potential declines in working hours and real labour incomes, highlighting heightened vulnerabilities in the Arab States and the Asia-Pacific region due to disrupted energy markets, supply chains, and transport routes.

This report examines the impact of digital innovation on financial health. It outlines opportunities in payments, credit, savings, and insurance, whilst highlighting emerging risks such as fraud, overindebtedness, and ill-suited investments. The authors propose policy responses to enhance regulatory frameworks and promote responsible digitalisation in financial services.

This report explores how alternative data and artificial intelligence are redefining credit scoring to enhance financial inclusion for women and underserved borrowers. It analyses market trends, evaluates the risks of algorithmic bias, and provides actionable recommendations to scale responsible, inclusive credit access across emerging markets.