The World Bank Open Knowledge Repository
The World Bank Open Knowledge Repository (OKR) is The World Bank’s official open access repository for its research outputs and knowledge products.
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Total publications: 38,797
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Publication The Digital Gender Divide: Women in Latin America and the Caribbean in the Digital Era(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2025-05-16) World BankFrom 2018 to 2022, household access to home internet in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) increased from 50.7 to 68.4 percent, with higher access rates in urban areas (ITU, 2023). In most countries of LAC, there are pronounced disparities in access to the internet between poor and non-poor households (World Bank, 2024). There are notable gender disparities too. Men generally have better access to the internet than women, but in some countries a higher percentage of women accesses the internet . The gender gap favoring women (expressed in percentage points) is particularly significant in the Dominican Republic. Similarly, a noticeable gap in favor of women’s internet usage can be seen in Nicaragua, Paraguay, and Uruguay.Publication Mapping Childcare Programs and Gaps in Provision in Areas with Employment Opportunities for Women in Honduras(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2025-05-16) World BankThis study examines the care arrangements and needs of urban households with young children in Honduras and measures them relative to the provision of childcare services in the country. The study also investigates the changing burden of childcare during the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting impact on opportunities for female labor force participation and income generation. The analysis involves primary data collection on both the demand and the supply of childcare.Publication Breaking Invisible Barriers: Does Fast Internet Improve Access to Input Markets?(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2025-05-16) Demir, Banu; Javorcik, Beata; Panigrahi, Piyush ParitoshThis paper explores how improved internet infrastructure impacts supply chains and economic activity, focusing on Turkiye. Using the expansion of fiber-optic networks and firm-to-firm transaction data, the paper finds that better connectivity shifts input sourcing to well-connected regions and diversifies supplier networks. Estimates from a spatial equilibrium model with endogenous network formation and rational inattention show that high-speed internet reduced information acquisition and communication costs. Enhanced connectivity increased real income by 2.2 percent in the median province. The findings underscore the importance of digital infrastructure investments in fostering economic growth by improving supply chain efficiency and broadening firms' access to suppliers.Publication VAT Exemptions, Embedded Tax, and Unintended Consequences(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2025-05-15) Chandler, William; Thomas, Alastair; Tremblay, FredericThe value-added tax (VAT) has proved to be a highly effective tool at raising revenue in developed and developing countries alike. However, the effective operation of the VAT breaks down in the presence of exemptions. Unlike zero rates, exemptions deny input tax credits, thereby increasing production costs and resulting in VAT being embedded within the prices of goods and services. This paper develops a VAT model based on input-output table and household budget survey data for 29 European countries to examine the effects of VAT exemptions on final prices and to assess the merits of their use. Simulation results show that exemptions suffer from the same targeting problems as reduced VAT rates, but, in addition, they are non-transparent and have unpredictable and counterproductive indirect effects. These effects are in addition to the well-known distortionary impact of exemptions on production decisions, and their creation of incentives to self-supply. The paper concludes that the use of exemptions should be limited to addressing pragmatic concerns, such as the disproportionate compliance costs of small businesses and the practical difficulty in taxing margin-based financial services.Publication Balancing Innovation and Rigor: Guidance for the Thoughtful Integration of Artificial Intelligence for Evaluation (Guidance Note)(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2025-05-15) Independent Evaluation Group; World Bank; independent Office of EvaluationWithin the evolving landscape of artificial intelligence (AI), large language models (LLMs) have the potential to enhance the efficiency, breadth, and validity of the collection, processing, and analysis of text as data in evaluation practice. However, LLMs do not always generate aligned, authoritative, or accurate responses, indicating that their responses must be validated before use in our work. Furthermore, the importance of analytical rigor in our practice, combined with our institutions' ability to affect the lives of people around the world, makes it clear that we must take a thoughtful approach to integrating such tools. How can we realize the potential of LLMs while maintaining rigor? This guidance note aims to answer that question by demonstrating good practices for experimenting with LLMs based on a frequently occurring use case in our evaluations: structured literature review (SLR). This use case serves as a concrete example of how LLMs can be thoughtfully integrated into evaluation workflows. This publication is jointly produced by the Independent Evaluation Group (IEG) of the World Bank (WB) and the Independent Office of Evaluation (IOE) of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).