The World Development Indicators (WDI) is produced by the Development Data Group, and in collaboration with the Bank's regions and Global Practices, as well as external partners.
The database is a compilation of relevant, high-quality, and internationally comparable statistics about global development and the fight against poverty. The WDI helps all users - analysts, policymakers, students, academics, fund and program managers, and all those curious about the state of the world - to find data related to all aspects of development, both historically and at the present time, and to follow trends and monitor progress towards a large number of goals and targets.
The online database includes 1,600 indicators, for 217 economies, with some data series extending back more than 50 years.
WDI is currently organized according to six main thematic areas:
Poverty and Inequality: Indicators that measure the incidence and depth of poverty according to national and international definitions, as well the economic inequalities in income and wealth that exist both within and across countries and regions.
People: Indicators on a range of topics that together build a portrait of societal progress across the world. They cover education, health, nutrition, mortality, and, jobs and unemployment, social protection, demographics, migration, and gender.
Environment: Indicators on the use of natural resources, such as water and energy, and various measures of environmental degradation, including pollution, deforestation, and loss of habitat. Together these indicators help assess the extent of climate change and the human impact on the planet.
Economy: Indicators for national accounts, including GDP, GNI, value added, and capital formation, as well as balance of payments, finance, consumption, and adjusted net savings among others, help us to measure the structure and growth of the world's economies.
States and Markets: Indicators on private investment, the public sector, financial systems, communication and transport infrastructure, science and technology, provide a picture of different business climates around the world, the functioning of governments, and the spread of new technologies.
Global Links: Indicators on the size and direction of economic flows and linkages, such as trade, remittances, equity, and debt, as well as tourism and migration, provide an overview of the processes, structures, and partnerships that allow economies to flourish.