Economic Data Countries

[Ogier Dudley]

The indicators within the Economy section allow us to analyze various aspects of both national and global economic activity. As countries produce goods and services, and consume these domestically or trade internationally, economic indicators measure levels and changes in the size and structure of different economies, and identify growth and contractions.

Economic indicators include measures of macroeconomic performance (gross domestic product [GDP], consumption, investment, and international trade) and stability (central government budgets, prices, the money supply, and the balance of payments). It also includes broader measures of income and savings adjusted for pollution, depreciation, and depletion of resources. Many economic indicators from WDI are used in tracking progress toward SDG Goal 8, promoting decent work and economic growth, and Goal 2, which encourages sustainable consumption and production.

Gross Domestic Product (GDP), a widely used indicator, refers to the total gross value added by all resident producers in the economy. Growth in the economy is measured by the change in GDP at constant price. Many WDI indicators use GDP or GDP per capita as a denominator to enable cross-country comparisons of socioeconomic and other data.

Major updates for national accounts data occur every July and December. However data can be updated more often if countries revise their economic data monthly or quarterly, change methodology or coverage, or introduce new weights. Information on revisions between quarterly scheduled updates is available here.

A selection of relevant indicators is presented below. The table shows, for each featured indicator, time coverage per year, for all countries, for each decade since the 1960s, and regional coverage for each World Bank geographical region since 2010. For detailed thematic lists please refer to the World Development Indicators Statistical Tables.

Click on Custom Country. A new box will open. Click on the desired countries listed in the country selection panel. Enter the group name in the Enter Group Title box and click on Add. The new country group will be added to the right panel.

Now you can add new countries or remove the countries to an existing customized group. 1. Click on the additional countries listed in the country selection panel. 2. To remove the country from the group double click on the country or select the country and click Remove button. 3. Click on Add to save changes to your customized group. Note: Editing the group name will create a new custom group. You can remove the customized group by clicking on the Delete button in the current selection panel in right side

myDataBank allows you to derive your own Custom Indicators from existing series.
Click on Custom Indicators. Choose input indicators by clicking on the desired series in the panel and use the calculator functions to construct your custom indicator formula.

For example, for a series that shows the percentage of female population, double-click on the series Population, Female. Then create a formula by clicking*100/ from the key pad. Then double click on the series Population, Total.

After the formula is complete, you can verify its syntax by clicking the "> Validate icon. Give a name to your custom indicator and click on Add.

Similarly you can create custom indicators such as GDP per Capita as GDP/Population, and annual growth rates for population as AGR(Population, Total), etc. To have "not available" values in the database treated as zero within your formula, use the NA function.

Explore key data and facts on the economic empowerment of women. From income disparities and workforce trends to entrepreneurship and access to financial resources, these statistics spotlight the critical role of economic empowerment in advancing gender equality and driving sustainable development.

It is hard to pinpoint a single cause for long-term poverty. Corrupt governments can make a very rich nation into a poor one. And so can a history of exploitative colonization, weak rule of law, war and social unrest, severe climate conditions or hostile, aggressive neighbors. Weaknesses compound: A country in debt will not be able to afford good schools, and a poorly educated workforce will limit capacity.

This country of roughly 35 million, one of the most impoverished on the Arabian Peninsula, has been embroiled in conflict since late 2014 as a result of the power struggle between the Saudi-backed government and the rebel Houthi movement. The war has claimed the lives of more than 150,000 people, shattered the economy and destroyed critical infrastructure. As a result, today, in this oil-rich land over 80% of the population lives in poverty.

Since becoming independent from France in 1960, Madagascar has experienced bouts of political instability, violent coups and disputed elections. Elected in 2019, president Andry Rajoelina came to power promising to tackle corruption, reduce poverty, and develop the economy. Mostly, they turned out to be just that: promises. Madagascar still holds one of the highest poverty rates in the world at about 75%, growth is sluggish, and inflation stands at nearly 8%. Still, Rajoelina was re-elected in December 2023.

To be fair, the country was also faced with an unprecedented series of challenges. Along with the economic and social consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic, when in 2022 grain deliveries from Ukraine collapsed following the Russian invasion, food prices skyrocketed, deepening the suffering of the citizens of the island. In addition, Madagascar ranks among the top 10 countries globally most vulnerable to climate hazards, with drought, floods and cyclones resulting in deaths and population displacement, and damage to homes, infrastructures and crops.

With 80% of its landlocked territory covered by the Sahara Desert and a rapidly growing population dependent upon small-scale agriculture, Niger is under threat from desertification. Food insecurity is high, as are disease and mortality rates. Recurrent clashes of the army with the Islamic State (ISIS) affiliate Boko Haram have displaced thousands.

Rich in resources and strategically located, this former Portuguese colony has often posted average GDP growth rates of more than 7% in the past decade. Yet it remains mired among the ten poorest countries in the world, with severe climate conditions and political instability being some of the main culprits. To make things worse, since 2017 attacks carried out by Islamic insurgent groups have plagued the gas-rich northern part of the country. Still, according to the IMF, the economy remains in high gear: it will expand by about 5% in 2024 and 2025, and it is projected to reach double-digit growth in the latter part of the decade.

Rich in gold, oil, uranium and diamonds, the Central African Republic is a very wealthy country inhabited by very poor people, and has been among the poorest countries in the world for the better part of a decade. For the first time since its independence from France in 1960, in 2016 the Central African Republic has democratically elected a president: former mathematics professor and prime minister Faustin Archange Touadra, who campaigned as a peacemaker who could bridge the divide between the Muslim minority and the Christian majority.

Yet, while his successful election has been seen as an important step towards national reconstruction, large swaths of the country remain controlled by anti-government and militia groups. Despite problems and setbacks, in recent years growth has moderately picked up, driven by the timber industry, the revival of the agricultural sector, and the partially resumed sale of diamonds.

Source: International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook April 2024. Values are expressed in current international dollars, reflecting the corresponding exchange rates and PPP adjustments.

Thanks to its solid foundations, the economy has proven resilient through different crises. Economic growth is projected to reach 5.5 per cent in 2024, up from five percent in 2023, driven by increasing global demand and restored domestic consumer confidence. Real GDP growth is expected to strengthen in the next three years, reaching the pre-pandemic average by 2026.

Growing at 2.5 to 3.5 percent per year over the past three decades, the agriculture sector has supported economic growth and ensured food security. It contributed 13 percent of GDP and 29 percent of employment in 2021.

Vietnam has grown bolder in its development aspirations, aiming to become a high-income country by 2045. To achieve this goal, the economy would have to grow at an annual average rate of about six percent per capita for the next 25 years. Viet Nam also aims to grow in a greener, more inclusive way. At COP27, it pledged to reduce methane emissions by 30 percent and halting deforestation by 2030 while achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050. To achieve these targets, Viet Nam unveiled the "One Million Hectares of High-Quality Low-Emission Rice" Program at COP28. The World Bank is actively collaborating with Viet Nam on this program's design and implementation.

The Vietnam Country Private Sector Diagnostic (CPSD) examines opportunities and challenges to strengthen private sector development and facilitate investments in Vietnam. It provides new knowledge in areas related to conglomerates, sector-specific issues, and the impact of COVID-19 on businesses.

The Vietnam Transmission Efficiency Project significantly boosted the electricity grid in four key economic hubs across the country. The project funded critical infrastructure improvements, leading to a 15 percent increase in transmission capacity. Additionally, it achieved a 20 percent reduction in average operation and maintenance costs per megawatt hour transmitted. System reliability also saw a dramatic improvement, with the average fault duration slashed from 76.2 minutes in 2013 to just 15.4 minutes in 2021. Beyond these immediate benefits, the project paved the way for a more sustainable future. By facilitating the integration of renewable energy sources on a larger scale, it helped reduce greenhouse gas emissions by an estimated 95,000 tons annually. Furthermore, the project's smart grid component laid the groundwork for Vietnam's digital transformation within the power sector.

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