The importance of standards for global trade, financial literacy and India's Social Stock Exchange - these are the stories covered in this issue of the World Economic Forum’s 3 Economic Trends newsletter, your guide to equitable growth, markets and economic policy in an ever-changing world. 1. The 'invisible infrastructure' shaping global #trade The ISO has produced more than 20,000 standards, feeding into the UN's Sustainable Development Goals. But the World Bank's World Development Report 2025 reveals a troubling gap: most developing nations must passively adopt standards rather than shape them, due to economic and institutional constraints. The fix is an "adapt–align–author" pathway, says the report, helping countries first absorb, then align with, and ultimately help create the standards that govern global commerce. "The World Development Report 2025 demonstrates how standards can be tools for competitiveness, resilience and inclusive growth," write Mujica and Gill. "The task now is to ensure they are designed, governed and implemented in ways that truly serve development." Read more about the report's findings here. 2. Why #financial #literacy is the investment with the highest return One in five 15-year-olds in OECD countries scores at the lowest level of financial literacy - unable to understand a budget or make financial decisions using basic maths. ... |