New approaches made possible through improved access and Internet connectivity can raise the standard of living for approximately 3.4 billion people living in rural areas, without them having to migrate to cities, according to the newly released 2021 World Social Report “Reconsidering Rural Development.”

According to the World Social Report 2024, urgent global action is needed to support national efforts to address the setbacks caused by the recent global crises, and to avoid the conversion of future shocks to crises. The report explains that, in our current global policy environment, shocks more readily turn into crises that cross boundaries, demanding international action. Particularly as such crises disproportionately impact the most vulnerable people, societies and countries.

The global economy is expected to experience subdued growth in the coming months amid a challenging trade environment and heightened macroeconomic uncertainties. The world economy is projected to grow by 2.5 per cent in both 2025 and 2026 — below the 2.8 per cent recorded in 2024 and the pre-pandemic average of 3.2 per cent (2010–2019).

Consumer inflation expectations are shaped by multiple factors—food and energy inflation remain crucial drivers, with persistent and large surges significantly shaping household expectations of inflation across countries.