Global Digitalization in 10 Charts

March 4, 2024---Digital technologies are transforming communications, business, health, education, finance, and more.
Yet there remains a multi-dimensional digital divide across countries, businesses, and individuals, which is compounding the development divide. Hospitals, schools, governments, and businesses cannot operate effectively and efficiently without digital tools.

The digital divide is holding back growth and limiting opportunities for the billions who are still unconnected, and for those who are connected by not harnessing the full potential of these technologies.

The new World Bank Group "Digital Progress and Trends Report 2023" tracks global progress of digitalization and countries' production and use of digital technologies, from digital jobs, digital services exports, and app development to internet use, affordability, quality, and more. The report highlights two clear trends that are shaping our digital future: The importance of digital public infrastructure and the transformative potential of artificial intelligence (AI).

WTO issues new edition of World Tariff Profiles

July 7, 2025-The WTO published on 7 July the 2025 edition of World Tariff Profiles, which provides comprehensive data on the tariffs and non-tariff measures imposed by over 170 economies. It is a joint publication of the WTO, the International Trade Centre (ITC) and UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD).
The publication provides summary tables listing the average "bound" (maximum) tariffs and applied tariffs for each economy for both agricultural and non-agricultural products as of end-2024.

Flow Traders-Tokenization in Capital Markets: A Market Maker's Perspective

July 3, 2025-Tokenization unlocks efficiencies like instant settlement, 24/7 trading, and fractional ownership-but real-world adoption depends on solving infrastructure and regulatory challenges, not just technology.
Market makers face key friction points in tokenized markets: fragmented liquidity requiring pre-funding across blockchains, lack of product-market fit without real demand, and operational complexity from 24/7 trading.