Resource information
World development indicators 2011, the
15th edition in its current format, aims to provide
relevant, high-quality, internationally comparable
statistics about development and the quality of
people's lives around the globe. Fifteen years ago,
World development indicators was overhauled and redesigned,
organizing the data to present an integrated view of
development, with the goal of putting these data in the
hands of policymakers, development specialists, students,
and the public in a way that makes the data easy to use.
Although there have been small changes, the format has stood
the test of time, and this edition employs the same sections
as the first one: world view, people, environment, economy,
states and markets, and global links. This edition focuses
on the impact of the decision to make data freely available
under an open license and with better online tools. To help
those who wish to use and reuse the data in these new ways,
the section introductions discuss key issues in measuring
the economic and social phenomena described in the tables
and charts and introduce new sources of data. The choice of
indicators and text content was shaped through close
consultation with and substantial contributions from staff
in the World Bank's four thematic networks sustainable
development, human development, poverty reduction and
economic management, and financial and private sector
development and staff of the International Finance
Corporation and the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency.
