Global Economic Prospects 2007

The World Bank's GEP 2007 is up and the current issue focuses on globalisation.
Some predictions of the report;

-On how globalization will shape the global economy over the next 25 years, the report's 'central scenario' predicts that the global economy could expand from $35 trillion in 2005 to $72 trillion in 2030

-The number of people living on less than $1 a day could be cut in half, from 1.1 billion now to 550 million in 2030. However, some regions, notably Africa, are at risk of being left behind. Moreover, income inequality could widen within many countries, compounding current concerns over inequality between countries

-Global trade in goods and services could rise more than threefold to $27 trillion in 2030, and trade as a share of the global economy will rise from one-quarter today to more than one-third. Roughly half of the increase is likely to come from developing countries

-Globalization is likely to bring benefits to many. By 2030, 1.2 billion people in developing countries-15 percent of the world population-will belong to the "global middle class," up from 400 million today. This group will have a purchasing power of between $4,000 and $17,000 per capita, and will enjoy access to international travel, purchase automobiles and other advanced consumer durables, attain international levels of education, and play a major role in shaping policies and institutions in their own countries and the world economy.