Living Standards

These differences increasingly have spurred governments to adopt well-intentioned policies to improve the livelihoods of those in "places left behind." | Yet the results often fall short of expectations, leaving billions of people further behind while eroding public confidence in government initiatives. | Such gaps largely reflect differences in productivity - the central driver of living standards across the world. | Living standards of people within developing economies vary greatly - to a much greater degree than in high-income economies.