Publications

The results of the PISA 2022 financial literacy assessment show that many 15-year-olds should be better prepared for their financial future, as they are not able to apply their financial knowledge to real-life situations. In every participating country and economy, students from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds performed significantly worse than their advantaged peers. PISA data also show that students who discuss money matters with their parents, and those who make autonomous decisions about how to spend their money, achieve higher levels of financial literacy. This PISA in Focus examines the proportion of students who do not achieve baseline financial literacy and explores the links between socio-economic backgrounds, parental interactions and financial literacy performance.

This paper takes stock of international good practices to measure progress and impacts towards a circular economy, based on existing circular economy strategies and related measurement frameworks at different levels of government. It also provides an overview of 215 operational and aspirational indicators available in Italy from official statistical sources and targeted circular economy reports. It highlights measurement challenges and concludes by identifying opportunities to expand the monitoring framework in Italy to measure progress towards a circular economy.

This report provides an assessment of how foreign direct investment (FDI) contributes to Canada’s sustainable development, particularly in the areas of trade, productivity and innovation employment, job quality and skills, diversity and inclusion, and the low-carbon transition. It provides initial policy considerations on how investment promotion and facilitation can improve such impacts.

In the wake of significant price increases in 2021 and 2022, countries introduced new or revised their fertiliser policies, further complicating the policy landscape in a highly concentrated market susceptible to supply disruptions. This report takes stock of the variety of policies in place and develops a framework for their classification and analysis. Key insights include the evolution and composition of farmer support estimates for mineral fertiliser use, the generally low or zero import tariffs reflecting high import dependence, and the non-transparent and frequently changing export restrictions imposed by major exporters. The analysis also shows a clear shift in policies from supporting mineral fertilisers to reducing their use or supporting organic fertiliser production and use. Yet, despite the potential of organic fertilisers, expanding their use and development will require substantial investment, changes in farm management, and policy adjustments.

To better address the impacts from climate change, OECD countries are increasingly making climate change adaptation a policy priority. Assessing progress in the implementation of national adaptation policies is a critical step in understanding how adaptation efforts contribute to strengthening climate resilience, and whether they are effective. Experience in policy design and implementation has grown significantly, however measuring progress remains a challenge for countries. Building on a cross-country survey and country case studies carried out in Chile, Korea, the Slovak Republic and the United Kingdom, this report provides insights into current OECD country practices in measuring climate adaptation. It proposes a framework that can guide countries on what needs to be measured and how, and discusses the role that adaptation indicators and a conducive institutional environment can play in strengthening adaptation measurement.

Across the world, people’s daily activities centre around clusters of population and economic activity. Settlements – cities, towns and villages – provide jobs and access to services for their own residents and others nearby. The quality of access to those services is key to promoting vibrant, inclusive and happier communities. However, access is not always uniformly distributed within countries, with metropolitan areas typically outperforming rural areas. This report looks at the interaction between geography and access to services. It considers three main factors: (1) The size of settlements; (2) Accessibility – the travel time associated with accessing settlements via car and public transport modes; and (3) Services – public and private services that are available and accessible across a variety of domains including health, finance and education. Numerous policy interventions hinge on improving service accessibility. Understanding the complex interactions between geography, transportation infrastructure, and service provision is essential for regional development policies and in particular for those regions facing population decline.

This biennial joint OECD-WTO publication provides a comprehensive analysis of trends and developments in Aid for Trade, the development finance flows that aim to help developing countries integrate into the global economy and benefit from trade opportunities. Analysing the evolution of those flows in a post-pandemic world, this edition finds that they proved resilient and remained largely aligned with partner country priorities, providing important support to bridge infrastructure gaps, foster connectivity, expand the digital economy and support clean energy transitions. Based on original data and a comprehensive stakeholder survey, the report assesses the impacts of Aid for Trade on development outcomes, and shows it is increasingly called upon to address new challenges, including climate change mitigation and adaptation.

Inclusive and sustainable economic growth in the six Western Balkan (WB6) economies depends on greater economic competitiveness. Although the gap is closing gradually, the standards of living in WB6 are well below those of the OECD and EU. Accelerating the rate of socio-economic convergence will require a holistic and growth oriented approach to policy making. This is the fourth study of the region (formerly under the title 'Competitiveness in South East Europe') and it comprehensively assesses policy reforms in the WB6 economies across 15 policy areas key to strengthening their competitiveness. It enables WB6 economies to compare economic performance against regional peers, as well as EU-OECD good practices and standards, and to design future policies based on rich evidence and actionable policy recommendations. The regional profile presents assessment findings across five policy clusters crucial to accelerating socio-economic convergence of the WB6 by fostering regional co-operation: business environment, skills, infrastructure and connectivity, digital transformation and greening. Economy-specific profiles complement the regional assessment, offering each WB6 economy an in-depth analysis of their policies supporting competitiveness. They also track the implementation of the previous 2021 study's recommendations and provide additional ones tailored to the economies’ evolving challenges. These recommendations aim to inform structural economic reforms and facilitate the region’s socio-economic convergence towards the standards of the EU and OECD.

Inclusive and sustainable economic growth in the six Western Balkan (WB6) economies depends on greater economic competitiveness. Although the gap is closing gradually, the standards of living in WB6 are well below those of the OECD and EU. Accelerating the rate of socio-economic convergence will require a holistic and growth oriented approach to policy making. This is the fourth study of the region (formerly under the title 'Competitiveness in South East Europe') and it comprehensively assesses policy reforms in the WB6 economies across 15 policy areas key to strengthening their competitiveness. It enables WB6 economies to compare economic performance against regional peers, as well as EU-OECD good practices and standards, and to design future policies based on rich evidence and actionable policy recommendations. The regional profile presents assessment findings across five policy clusters crucial to accelerating socio-economic convergence of the WB6 by fostering regional co-operation: business environment, skills, infrastructure and connectivity, digital transformation and greening. Economy-specific profiles complement the regional assessment, offering each WB6 economy an in-depth analysis of their policies supporting competitiveness. They also track the implementation of the previous 2021 study's recommendations and provide additional ones tailored to the economies’ evolving challenges. These recommendations aim to inform structural economic reforms and facilitate the region’s socio-economic convergence towards the standards of the EU and OECD.

Inclusive and sustainable economic growth in the six Western Balkan (WB6) economies depends on greater economic competitiveness. Although the gap is closing gradually, the standards of living in WB6 are well below those of the OECD and EU. Accelerating the rate of socio-economic convergence will require a holistic and growth oriented approach to policy making. This is the fourth study of the region (formerly under the title 'Competitiveness in South East Europe') and it comprehensively assesses policy reforms in the WB6 economies across 15 policy areas key to strengthening their competitiveness. It enables WB6 economies to compare economic performance against regional peers, as well as EU-OECD good practices and standards, and to design future policies based on rich evidence and actionable policy recommendations. The regional profile presents assessment findings across five policy clusters crucial to accelerating socio-economic convergence of the WB6 by fostering regional co-operation: business environment, skills, infrastructure and connectivity, digital transformation and greening. Economy-specific profiles complement the regional assessment, offering each WB6 economy an in-depth analysis of their policies supporting competitiveness. They also track the implementation of the previous 2021 study's recommendations and provide additional ones tailored to the economies’ evolving challenges. These recommendations aim to inform structural economic reforms and facilitate the region’s socio-economic convergence towards the standards of the EU and OECD.