Good health underpins education, employment, and economic growth, yet 4.5 billion people still lack access to essential health services. AI offers practical solutions by expanding access through virtual triage, remote diagnostics, and clinical decision support, helping patients receive timely and appropriate care. Examples from Brazil, Ethiopia, and India show how low-cost “Small AI” tools can improve disease detection and maternal health in low-resource settings. AI can also strengthen health workers’ capacity, create jobs across the health ecosystem, and improve efficiency. However, realizing its potential requires investment, training, strong governance, privacy protections, and safeguards against bias. With responsible deployment, AI can help build stronger, more equitable health systems and expand quality care to millions.

The World Bank Group is promoting affordable small AI solutions to improve agriculture, health and education in developing countries.

The world is seeing a huge rise in the number of young people ready to work, especially in developing countries, but far too few jobs are being created. Governments don’t need to create all the jobs themselves. Instead, they should make it easier for businesses to start, grow, and hire by setting clear, fair, and predictable rules. When companies feel confident to invest, more jobs follow. If countries succeed, growth and stability will spread globally. If they fail, job shortages could lead to deeper poverty, migration, and unrest.

What does knowledge mean in an age of AI, deepfakes, and disinformation? When information is everywhere, the real challenge is distinguishing insight from noise.

In this episode of the World Bank’s Development Podcast, host Toni Karasanyi explores how knowledge is evolving in a world where machines can generate convincing arguments and personalized realities shape how we consume information.

Tech journalist Jamie Bartlett, author of How to Talk to AI (And How Not To), explains how individuals can use AI tools without being misled — and why critical thinking matters more than ever.

Paschal Donohoe, the World Bank Group’s Managing Director and Chief Knowledge Officer, discusses how the Bank is turning more than 80 years of global development experience into practical knowledge that helps countries tackle challenges, including creating jobs and scale solutions in a fast-changing world.

New data shows AI adoption largely follows predicted job exposure, but a widening global divide leaves high-income countries leading usage while developing economies risk technological exclusion.

The world is shaped by fast crises and slow, powerful forces. Among the most significant is a coming wave: 1.2 billion young people in developing countries will soon enter the workforce, but far too few jobs await them. This story explores why this demographic surge is often overlooked, why it matters for global stability, and how early investment—in skills, infrastructure, and thriving businesses—could transform a looming risk into a historic opportunity.

When the world stumbled, the economy kept walking, but more slowly. Despite recent shocks, the global economy has remained resilient, but long‑term growth has slowed, leaving many developing countries poorer than before the COVID‑19 pandemic. Rising inequality between high- and low‑income economies reflects policy setbacks, especially weakened fiscal discipline. The lesson is clear: strong governance, clearer fiscal rules and renewed reforms are essential for developing economies to regain momentum.

The Chad Energy Access Expansion Project is distributing 145,000 solar kits across 23 provinces, providing clean electricity to six million people, improving health, education, and rural livelihoods.

Standards are the invisible threads that keep global trade and technology running smoothly—ensuring consistency, safety, and trust. The World Bank’s World Development Report 2025 reveals how these silent agreements can unlock growth, but warns that overregulation can choke progress. While vital for exports and innovation, developing countries often lack influence in setting them. A balanced mix of mandatory and voluntary, tiered standards plus strong quality infrastructure can boost participation and trust. Ambition must match capacity to avoid inefficiency and inequality.

Despite conflicts, debt pressures, and climate shocks, 2025 proved more resilient than expected for the global economy. Growth held at around 2.7 percent as countries adapted through digitalization, AI adoption, and diversified supply chains. Against this backdrop, the World Bank Group made job creation its central mission, recognizing jobs as the strongest path out of poverty and instability. With 1.2 billion young people entering the workforce over the next decade, the Bank focused on five high-impact sectors: energy and infrastructure, agribusiness, health care, tourism, and manufacturing. By mobilizing private capital and partnerships, 2025 laid the groundwork for inclusive, job-driven growth heading into 2026.

Building true climate resilience in developing countries requires empowering people and markets, to adapt proactively rather than merely react to disasters.

As the planet weeps for its dwindling water resources, the World Bank’s Global Water Monitoring Report reveals alarming trends: we lose 324 billion cubic meters of fresh water each year, meeting the annual needs of 280 million people. Over the last two decades, fresh water reserves have dropped by 3% annually, with arid regions facing declines of up to 10%. This crisis threatens not only our ecosystems but also employment, agriculture, and energy production. As world leaders convene in Belem, Brazil, for COP30, they will have vital insights to tackle these pressing challenges and foster a sustainable future.

The World Bank’s IDA21 programme is working to help people in the world’s poorest countries by using $100 billion in financial commitments to create jobs, improve services, and protect the planet.

Developing economies currently face a significant investment shortfall, requiring about 5% of global GDP annually to meet development goals, with low-income countries needing 8%. Since the 2008 financial crisis, investment growth in these regions has slowed dramatically, particularly in private investment and foreign direct investment (FDI). Nevertheless, new World Bank research indicates that investment miracles are possible, as evidenced by 115 investment accelerations over seven decades that doubled GDP growth and significantly reduced poverty. However, such accelerations have become increasingly rare since the 2000s, affected by global conditions and domestic policy challenges.

Amid rising climate shocks, African leaders are redefining development by linking ecological stability with inclusive, resilient economic progress and job creation.