Accelerating Investment (Challenges and Policies)

Developing economies have an acute need for higher investment. Investment is the engine that builds productive capacity, modernizes infrastructure, sets the stage for job growth, and advances countries toward development and climate goals. Yet as development needs have expanded, investment growth has been in a deep slump— a call to action for policymakers, investors, and development practitioners. This book presents the World Bank’ s most comprehensive assessment yet of investment in developing economies. It explores why investment matters, why it has stalled in many countries, and what it will take to reignite it. The book documents how robust investment spurts have historically led to faster growth, higher productivity, and more rapid poverty reduction. But it also shows that investment growth has been sluggish in much of the developing world since the global financial crisis. With the right policies, however, developing economies can boost investment. The book highlights the criticality of good business and governance conditions to attract private investment. It underscores the need for credible fiscal and monetary frameworks and well-targeted public investment. It also stresses the importance of international cooperation to mobilize finance. Reigniting investment is not just a domestic challenge but a global imperative.