Africa’s Development Dynamics uses lessons from Central, East, North, Southern and West Africa to develop policy recommendations and share good practices.

Employment in countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) has grown one percent per year on average within private sector firms, which is much lower than the five percent average among other middle-income peers. In addition, the female labor force participation rate of 20% is the lowest in the world.

The disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic pushed an estimated 55 million Africans into extreme poverty in 2020 and reversed more than two decades of progress in poverty reduction on the continent. This is according to the Economic Report on Africa 2021(ERA2021).

Small island developing States (SIDS) are among the most water-scarce countries in the world, with seven in ten SIDS facing risks of water shortage, including nine in ten low-lying SIDS (UNESCO, UNEP, 2016).

Over the past two decades, the region has lifted millions out of poverty. Most countries are now in a position to offer their citizens many more opportunities to live longer, healthier, more productive and secure lives. In a wealthier but riskier world, these achievements are threatened by three overlapping crises.

South Asia’s growth rate has returned to pre-pandemic levels. However, the uneven recovery from the pandemic has left countries in South Asia with multiple policy challenges, which are exacerbated by the impact of the war in Ukraine.

Amid continuing uncertainty over the trajectory of the COVID-19 pandemic and increased global risks, the region’s economic recovery and progress must be anchored in “a new social contract” of inclusiveness to protect the vulnerable from future shocks, according to the Economic and Social Survey of Asia and the Pacific for 2022, released by the U

Five decades after its establishment, the African Development Fund continues to play a key role in improving the lives of millions of people across Africa.

The 7th Malawi National Human Development Report with the theme, “Delivering Sustainable Human Development and Accountability at the Local Level – The Experience of Decentralization in Malawi," aims to promote district focused approach to human development, by proposing policies and strategies for strengthening local governance structures in the