Review of the World Development Indicators by the World Bank
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: The World Development Indicators (WDI) database is the World Bank's flagship collection of cross-country comparable development statistics. It provides nearly 1,600 indicators covering economic, social, demographic, and environmental dimensions for around 220 economies and 45 country groups, with time series extending back more than five decades. Data are sourced from national and international organisations and institutions, ensuring broad coverage but also leading to methodological variation. The WDI is freely accessible via the World Bank's Open Data platform, DataBank, bulk downloads, and an Application Programming Interface (API). While it is a vital tool for research, policy, and monitoring progress on global goals such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), data availability across countries and years remains uneven, particularly for social policy indicators. As shown by coverage in Discuss Data relevant countries, core demographic and economic series are well established, whereas indicators on poverty, health, and education are often fragmented or incomplete. Despite these limitations, the WDI remains the most comprehensive statistical resource of the World Bank and a cornerstone for global comparative research.
Author: Luca Marie Bauer
Institution: University of Bremen
Language: English
Subfield: Geography, Planning and Development
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7083799399
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