40% of Brazil’s federal civil servants were projected to retire by 2030, while tax auditors with similar experience showed a five-fold difference in gross pay.

This episode explores how governments can use administrative data they already collect—from payroll and procurement to service-delivery records—to uncover inefficiencies, improve planning, and measure performance more accurately. It also examines why reliable insights depend on strong, consistent data systems.

Generated with AI using wondercraft.ai and guided by our experts.

Read more at https://www.worldbank.org/en/publication/government-analytics

💰 Ghana doubled property-tax collections with digital tools, Ethiopia increased VAT revenue by almost 50%, and Sierra Leone raised tax payments by 20% by showing taxpayers what local services their taxes supported.

This episode explores *Raising Revenue Right: A Roadmap for Domestic Resource Mobilization* and asks what makes tax systems work better. Through examples from Mexico, Ghana, Ethiopia, Argentina, and Sierra Leone, we examine how better diagnosis, technology, transparency, and trust can help governments raise revenue more efficiently, fairly, and sustainably.

Generated with AI using wondercraft.ai and guided by our experts.

Read more at https://www.worldbank.org/en/publication/raising-revenue-right

Nearly 70% of the indicators used to assess public financial management reforms in Malawi measured changes in form—not whether the system actually worked. This episode, the second on the series from The Government Analytics Handbook, explores how misleading metrics can create an illusion of success and even harmful incentives. Learn how balanced data, qualitative evidence, leadership, and strong review routines can help governments turn analytics into better decisions and meaningful action. Generated with AI using wondercraft.ai and guided by our experts. Read more at https://www.worldbank.org/en/publication/government-analytics

Nearly 1/3 of rural schools in parts of Sub-Saharan Africa lack reliable electricity, while more than two-thirds lack consistent internet access. This episode explores what developing countries need to turn AI’s potential into inclusive growth. Drawing on the World Development Report 2026, it examines why infrastructure, skills, data, and institutions matter—and how governments can act as enablers, users, and regulators of AI. Generated with AI using wondercraft.ai and guided by our experts. Read more at https://www.worldbank.org/en/publication/wdr2026

Only 20 percent of monitored days met the WHO’s PM2.5 guideline—and children’s exposure varied sharply across cities, schools, homes, and commutes. This episode explores how personal sensors, GPS tracking, and socioeconomic data can reveal the hidden geography of air pollution. From paved school grounds that reduced exposure by 37.2 percent to the complex relationship between pollution and wealth, discover how more precise measurement can support cleaner and more equitable policies. Generated with AI using wondercraft.ai and guided by our experts. Read more at:

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-023-39797-4

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41893-023-01254-x

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352186425005796

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanchi/article/PIIS2352-4642(23)00261-4/fulltext