📊 Proof: Development Still Works

Five countries. One conclusion: investing in the basics still delivers results.

July 24, 2026 Development progress has stalled across much of the world, but this week we explore one idea: stagnation as a choice. From clean energy to classroom reform, from farm labor to labor economics, this issue traces what it looks like when countries make a deliberate bet on infrastructure, institutions, and productive labor. The results are specific, measurable, and worth paying attention to.   Bangladesh adds 338 megawatts of clean power to a near-fully electrified grid  Türkiye pulls farm workers out of informality and into insured employment  In India, schools are becoming ladders to real jobs  New research dismantles one of labor economics' most stubborn myths  Plus: The World Bank Group Africa Fellowship Program is open for recent graduates and PhD holders. Apply by August 25.

Development Stagnation Is a Choice What does it actually take to develop against the odds? Rwanda, Ethiopia, Cambodia, and the Kyrgyz Republic all found different paths — but the same ingredients: sustained investment, functional institutions, and the political will to make big bets. The global slowdown in development progress is not inevitable. Countries that stay focused on the fundamentals are still moving forward.

EDITOR'S PICKS

Bangladesh Is Electrified — Now It's Going Green  Bangladesh's grid is almost fully electrified — but clean power makes up just 1.5% of the mix. A World Bank-backed project added 338 megawatts of renewable energy, mobilized $212 million in private financing, and reduced carbon emissions by 377,000 tons annually. Industries are adopting rooftop solar, lowering costs and meeting buyer sustainability standards.

Türkiye Brings Farm Workers Into the Fold In Türkiye's agricultural sector, informality was the norm. Most farm workers had no healthcare, no pensions, and no protection from workplace accidents. A targeted intervention changed that: 12,200 formal jobs created, women making up nearly 40% of beneficiaries, and more than 2,000 farmers trained in occupational health, accounting, and labor law.

A Hilly State's Quiet Education Revolution In Nagaland, one of India's most remote and underserved states, Grade 10 completion rates have jumped 13 percentage points in five years. A $56.5 million initiative retrained teachers, moved classrooms from rote instruction to active learning, and built new infrastructure where little existed before. Education here is being rebuilt as a pathway to employment.

The Jobs Myth That Won't Die The idea that older workers crowd out younger ones is intuitive — and wrong. Data from Brazil and Morocco show that keeping older workers in the labor force has no significant effect on youth employment. In rural Brazil, it was mildly positive. The real driver of youth unemployment is not older workers staying on — it's the absence of formal job creation, vocational training, and functional pension systems.

WATCH AND LISTEN

Malawi's Farmers Are Getting a New Start Agriculture is one third of Malawi's GDP — but smallholder farmers have long been exposed to climate shocks. World Bank-supported soil health pilots are helping farmers diversify crops and bring in better yields.

DATA FOR DEVELOPMENT

	1 billion	people are projected to face severe food insecurity by 2028.

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IN THE NEWS

World Bank Group Invests in Türkiye’s Power Grid to Support Energy Security, Growth and Jobs World Bank Group Backs Business Environment Reform and Inclusive Jobs in the state of São Paulo, Brazil South Africa: World Bank Group Support to Boost Infrastructure Modernization and Create Nearly 600,000 Jobs  View More News

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