World Bank Group Report Explores Standards’ Impact on Economic Development

The World Bank Group has released World Development Report 2025: Standards for Development, providing a comprehensive analysis of the landscape of global standards.

The report lays out a detailed history of standardization and explores how standards are foundational economic infrastructure. It offers a practical framework for countries at all stages of development to become involved in standards development, highlighting how participation in international standards activities can accelerate economic development while exploring the obstacles that developing countries face in meaningful involvement.

“For low- and middle-income countries, standards have never mattered more. Nearly 90 percent of world trade is now shaped by nontariff measures, most linked to standards. From digital systems for payment to charging stations for electric vehicles, new technologies  can deliver economywide benefits only when standards exist. Mastering them can  enhance national competitiveness and protect against technological, financial, and environmental risks,” notes the report overview.

Recommendations for the global community include:

• Support participation by low- and middle-income countries in developing international standards and design tiered standards that reflect diverse capacities among countries.
• Deepen regulatory cooperation and reduce fragmentation.
• Develop credible standards for emerging technologies and actions to prevent or mitigate climate change.
• Expand research and data on the economic and social impacts of standards.

Countries that seek to use standards to support development should:

• Create incentives for firms to upgrade the quality of their exports rather than imposing unrealistic mandates.
• Adapt and sequence standards to align with the national capacity to enforce them.
• Participate actively in international forums for setting standards.
• Invest in and share quality infrastructure resources regionally.

Read more: World Bank press release; Report overview