The Odds of Achieving the MDGs

Three questions are frequently raised about the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Where do developing countries stand? What factors affect their rate of progress? Can lagging countries achieve these goals in the few years remaining until 2015? This paper examines these questions...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:	The World Bank research observer Vol. 27; no. 2; pp. 143 - 184
Main Authors:	Go, Delfin S., Quijada, José Alejandro
Format:	Journal Article
Language:	English
Published:	Cary Oxford University Press 01-08-2012 World Bank Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the World Bank Oxford Publishing Limited (England)
Series:	World Bank Research Observer
Subjects:	child mortality Children complications Developing countries Development economics development efforts Economic development Economic growth Economic policy economic progress gender parity Gross domestic product Growth rate Hunger International bank for reconstruction and development LDCs living conditions low-income countries maternal mortality Maternal mortality rates millennium development goals Mortality Observational research Poverty Poverty relief Primary education progress quality of life reducing maternal mortality respect safe drinking water safety nets sanitation secondary education Studies Success Variance World Bank LIVING CONDITIONS ECONOMIC GROWTH SAFETY NETS LOW-INCOME COUNTRIES SAFE DRINKING WATER DEVELOPMENT EFFORTS GENDER PARITY MATERNAL MORTALITY ECONOMIC PROGRESS CHILD MORTALITY DEVELOPING COUNTRIES SANITATION RESPECT PROGRESS SECONDARY EDUCATION MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS REDUCING MATERNAL MORTALITY COMPLICATIONS QUALITY OF LIFE PRIMARY EDUCATION
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Summary:	Three questions are frequently raised about the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Where do developing countries stand? What factors affect their rate of progress? Can lagging countries achieve these goals in the few years remaining until 2015? This paper examines these questions and takes a closer look at the variation in the rate of progress among developing countries. We argue that answers from the available data are surprisingly positive. In particular, three-quarters of developing countries are on target or close to being on target for all of the MDGs. Among the countries that are falling short, the average gap for the top half is about 10 percent. For those that are on target, or close to it, solid economic growth, policies, and institutions have been the key factors in their success. With improved policies and stronger growth, many countries that are close to being on target could achieve these targets by 2015 or soon after.
Bibliography:	World Bank Research Observer ObjectType-Article-2 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 ObjectType-Feature-1 content type line 23 ObjectType-Article-1 ObjectType-Feature-2
ISSN:	0257-3032 1564-6971 1564-6971
DOI:	10.1093/wbro/lks005