WDI Quarterly Update: December 2024

1. Data updates

On December 16, 2024, the World Development Indicators (WDI) database was updated. This release features the latest data for:

• ▪ External debt stocks and flows data such as External debt stocks, long-term (DOD, current US$), Debt service (PPG and IMF only, % of exports of goods, services and primary income) (SDG indicator 17.4.1), and Present value of external debt (% of GNI) For external debt statistics and analysis of low- and middle-income countries reported to the World Bank Debtor Reporting System, refer to the International Debt Report (IDR) at https://www.worldbank.org/en/programs/debt-statistics/idr/products.
• ▪ National accounts series including GDP (current US$), GDP, PPP (current international $), and GNI per capita, Atlas method (current US$)
  Ranking tables showing 2023 GDP, GDP PPP, GNI, GNI per capita, and Population tables are also available as part of the World Bank's Data Catalog.
• ▪ Prevalence of food insecurity in the population: FAO's moderate or severe and severe levels of food insecurity are based on the Food Insecurity Experience Scale (FIES).

A list of indicators included in this update can be accessed here and the data is available through the Open Data site, DataBank, the Data Catalog, and via API.

Here are the indicator changes for the fourth quarter of 2024: additions, deletions, and methodological adjustments.

2. Methodological updates

Tariff Data
The tariff data was recently updated. These indicators offer a comprehensive resource for analyzing trade policies, assessing economic competitiveness, and examining their impacts on global and regional markets. The dataset encompasses critical indicators such as binding coverage, bound rates, tariff lines, and applied rates. The tariff data are based on World Bank staff estimates generated through the World Integrated Trade Solution (WITS) system. These estimates utilize data from the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development’s Trade Analysis and Information System (TRAINS) database, as well as the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) Integrated Data Base (IDB) and Consolidated Tariff Schedules (CTS) database. This update also improves the consistency of tariff data for European Union (EU) Member States by accurately reflecting EU membership status for specific countries and years, ensuring the appropriate application of EU tariff data.

High-technology exports
The definition of high technology exports in WDI was modified as of October 2024. Specifically the list of SITC Rev.4 high technology product codes now includes product code 776 in its entirety and that all data in its sub-categories is incorporated. This means that products codes 776.11, 776.12, 776.21, 776.23, 776.29 have been added to the high-tech list of products, which does not comply with OECD’s 2008 definition of high-tech.

This change was implemented to address the problem of missing data which occurs during the data conversion process from HS2022 to SITC4. This happens if a country submits export data in the HS2022 coding system and is no longer in HS2017. Specifically, the HS2022-to-SITC4 conversion table (downloaded from COMTRADE) does not break down product code 776.4+ into sub-categories, and the export data of these sub-categories has been subsumed into 776. Since there is no break down for 776.4+, extracting data from the SITC4 dataset in the COMTRADE database will yield zero value for SITC4 codes 776.4, 776.42, 776.44, 776.46, and 776.49 as defined in the OECD high-tech definition. Hence, when calculating high-tech export values using the forward method of summing up data from these five SITC4 codes will result in missing data caused by the conversion process. This can result in a significant year-on-year decline in high-tech export values for affected countries.

3. New indicators

In the fourth quarter of 2024, 43 new greenhouse gas emissions indicators and 2 sex-disaggregated Internet use indicators were added to WDI.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions: This WDI update includes 30 new greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions indicators. The new indicators cover the annual emissions of greenhouse gases included in the Kyoto protocol and are disaggregated by greenhouse gas (carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O) and fluorinated gases (F-gases)) as well as by five sectors (agriculture, energy industrial processes, transport, and waste). The energy sector is further subdivided in four subsectors, namely building, fugitive emissions, industrial combustion, power industry. Only sector/gas pairs with substantial emissions are included. Indicators with the total emissions by greenhouse gas and the total overall emissions are also included.

The data for the new emissions indicators is sourced from the EDGAR v8.0 database, which is published by the European Commission’s Joint Research Center (JRC) and is estimated using information from several sources including the International Energy Agency (IEA). The data are harmonized using a methodology developed by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which allows for comparison across countries as well as sectors.

The EDGAR v8.0 database tracks annual emissions up to 2022 and has an annual update cycle. The data is standardized to carbon dioxide equivalent values using the latest global warming potential (GWP) values from the IPCC’s Fifth Assessment Report (AR5), which was published in 2013. The GWP value of a greenhouse gas indicates the global warming effect compared to carbon dioxide over a specified time period. We use 100 years as time period. The GWP value of methane is 28, which means that 1 ton of methane emissions has the same global warming effect as 28 tons of carbon dioxide emissions over a period of 100 years. This standardization in carbon dioxide equivalent values allows comparison between gases as well as addition.

LULUCF indicators: This WDI update includes new indicators capturing carbon fluxes caused by land use, land-use change, and forestry (LULUCF), which are disaggregated by four categories: deforestation, forest land, organic soil, and other land, as well as the total over these categories. The indicators reflect the net emissions, as the LULUCF sector removes greenhouse gases from the atmosphere, e.g., carbon sequestration by forests, as well as emits greenhouse gases, e.g., by deforestation. The country-level data for the LULUCF indicators is sourced from a hybrid dataset produced by Grassi et al., (2023), which is generally reflective of country-submitted estimates and draws data from submissions and briefs to the UNFCCC and REDD+, independent reports, satellite data, and wildfire data to report emissions and removals. The Grassi database covers the years 2000-2020 and is expected to have annual updates.

Carbon intensity of GDP and per capita emissions: The new WDI indicators also include new indicators which are derived from the new set of greenhouse gas emissions indicators: carbon intensity of GDP as well as per capita emissions. The carbon intensity of GDP measures the carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions per unit of GDP of an economy. Carbon intensity is measured using two different GDP measures: GDP in constant 2015 US$ and GDP in 2021 PPP$. Per capita emissions measure the emissions of an economy per person in its population. Per capita measures are available for total greenhouse gas emissions and carbon dioxide emissions.

Change of emission with respect to Kyoto reference year: The Kyoto protocol sets goals for emissions reduction with respect to baseline emissions in the reference year 1990 and many countries have adopted goals expressed as change of emission relative to 1990 levels. This WDI update includes four indicators that measure the change of emissions relative to the emissions level in 1990. The change w.r.t 1990 levels is available for total emissions as well as carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions.

These new 43 GHG emissions related indicators replace the previous 37 GHG emissions indicators in WDI, which were compiled from various data sources, restricting the comparability across indicators, and had limited time coverage, especially for more recent years. As the methodology differs between the new indicators and the previous indicators, e.g. using different GWP values (AR4 vs AR5), all the new indicators have new indicator codes, and all historical values have been replaced.

A list of the replaced 37 indicators, along with WDI Database Archives API links, can be found in the list of discontinued indicators section.

Internet use: WDI now includes the sex-disaggregated Internet use indicators sourced from the International Telecommunication Union. The Internet is a crucial tool for various essential activities, including accessing education, searching for jobs, engaging in e-commerce, obtaining health information, and using financial or government services. These indicators correspond to the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 17.8.1 indicator, and help identify digital divides among individuals using the Internet. Notably, it highlights that women, particularly in low-income countries, have lower internet usage rates than men. This data integration enhances our ability to analyze and address gender disparities in internet usage, supporting evidence-based policymaking and targeted interventions to promote digital inclusion.

4. New publications

The World Development Indicators team has published a guide on selecting development indicators and a technical note explaining the methodology for population estimates and projections.

▪ Choosing World Development Indicators: A Guide to Indicator Selection

The World Development Indicators database is a valuable resource for researchers, policymakers, and development professionals worldwide. To maintain its relevance and accessibility, the WDI’s indicators are selected based on four fundamental criteria: ease of use, trustworthiness, coverage, and quality.

This paper outlines the framework used to evaluate indicators for inclusion in the WDI and explains both the quantitative and the qualitative criteria. It also highlights specific examples of indicators under consideration for addition or retirement. The selection framework ensures that the WDI continues to offer reliable, pertinent and high-quality data to support informed decision-making and advance the global development discourse.

▪ Population Estimates and Projections for the World Bank: Technical Note

The World Bank’s population estimates serve as the denominator for many per capita measures calculated and published by the World Bank, including per capita Gross National Income estimates that are used to determine the lending rates and credit terms for World Bank operations. The population estimates and projections are also used to calculate the World Bank’s poverty estimates, and they are used to produce population weighted averages for regions and income groups.

This technical note describes the methodology used by the World Bank to generate population estimates and projections that are reported in the World Development Indicators (WDI) database and the Population Estimates and Projections database. For a summary overview, please refer to our blog post: Understanding Population Estimates in the World Development Indicators.

5. List of discontinued indicators (including WDI Database Archives)