Development Economics Global Indicators Group

Global Indicators Group

The Global Indicators Group (DECIG) produces primary data and analysis on private sector development - the key to sustainable and inclusive economic growth. The indicators place emphasis on regulations, institutions, and policies that promote job creation, economic productivity, and gender equality.

DECIG publishes the World Bank's flagship reports on global business environment and women's economic empowerment. It also conducts the world's most comprehensive enterprise surveys and studies of the subnational business environment.

Through rigorous firm surveys and expert consultations, DECIG generates reliable data and indicators that are relevant to policymaking, and comparable within and across developing and developed economies.

DECIG's data, reports, and papers encourage and guide legal and economic reforms, open the door for policy dialogue and knowledge sharing, and feed into development research.

DECIG is located within the Development Economics Vice Presidency of the World Bank.

DIRECTOR

Norman Loayza
Director, Global Indicators Group

What does the private sector need to thrive?

The private sector, including firms, workers and markets, is the engine for economic growth. An economy cannot expand without it.
A vibrant private sector depends on a healthy regulatory environment, including efficient public services, streamlined regulations, and equitable laws that balance opportunities for all.
Many countries need reforms to improve their regulatory framework to support the private sector.
The Global Indicators Group provides reliable evidence and global datasets to support reforms.
Together, the DECIG programs power evidence-informed policymaking for a stronger private sector everywhere in the world...
...and accelerate the World Bank��s effort to end poverty on a livable planet.

Highlights

Watch replay

Improving upon the Doing Business report, B-READY offers more comprehensive data and analysis that can guide policy reforms and foster private sector development that benefit firms, workers, markets, and society as a whole. Join economists, policymakers, business leaders and journalists to explore barriers to long-term growth, good policy practices, and strategies for fostering a business-ready environment.

Enterprise Surveys event_World Bank_Private sector development

Watch replay

What's Holding Back the Private Sector? Understanding the Business Experience through Enterprise Surveys

Hear from prominent academics and practitioners about experiences of the private sector, new opportunities in the measurement of the business environment, and policy implications obtained from Enterprise Surveys data findings.

Our Programs

Business Ready (B-READY)

Business Ready?is the World Bank��s new flagship report benchmarking the business environment and investment climate in most economies worldwide.?

Enterprise Surveys provide the world's most comprehensive comparable firm-level data in emerging markets and developing economies.

Subnational Business Ready (SN)

Subnational Business Ready assesses the business environment for private sector development across locations in a single country. The program provides data on selected topics for each location, and inform the policy agenda of local policymakers.?

The Women, Business and the Law (WBL) project collects data on the laws and regulations that affect women��s economic opportunity.?

Private sector to end poverty on a livable planet

The private sector needs a favorable business environment to grow and prosper. Hear from experts from the Global Indicators Group:

DECIG Seminar Series

Livestreamed every month, the series invites leading researchers in development economics and public policy to present their recent work on international development, especially on private sector development.

Global Indicators Briefs Series

Summarizing key findings from research and data analysis conducted by DECIG experts on private sector development.

New and Featured

Blog

Physical location remains critical for business success. The World Bank��s Business Ready data shows that economies with effective regulations, transparent public services, and digital platforms for property registration ...
Brief

Subnational studies can pinpoint regulatory challenges and guide data-driven reforms of the local business climates, thereby fostering the economic resilience of a country. This brief demonstrates case studies from ...
Report

Buildings account for 37% of global CO2 emissions, yet more than half of the world lacks mandatory energy efficiency standards for new construction. Examining building energy codes across 88 countries, this new report ...
Presentation slides

Does digitalization have a role to play in encouraging businesses to formalize? ...

Brief

In Sierra Leone, only 25% of women have financial accounts compared to 33% of men. To advance women��s financial inclusion, Sierra Leone enacted several legal and policy reforms between 2021 and 2023. This brief ...
Video

Ready, Set, Jobs! Business Ready

How can a conducive business environment support jobs in the private sector worldwide? Get facts and figures from a lively talk from experts of the World Bank Business Ready project.
Blog

The 2023 World Bank Enterprise Surveys data in Botswana reveals rising private sector productivity, outperforming regional averages. However, growth is constrained by limited access to finance and land, as well as low ...
Efficient insolvency legislation is essential for economic health. Drawing lessons from Romania, countries should address asset sale inefficiencies, clarify creditor rights, and adopt digital tools for faster, more ...