Why Standards Matter for Development

International standards shape 90% of global trade — discover how they affect developing economies in the World Development Report 2025. Standards are the hidden rules that make the world work. They determine whether a plug fits a socket, whether goods move smoothly across borders, and whether medicines are safe and trusted. Yet developing countries often face the highest compliance costs and the least influence over how global standards are written. The World Development Report 2025: Standards for Development outlines: 🔹 Why standards matter for development — How standardized shipping containers boosted global trade — Why today’s standards affect nearly every product and service — How mismatched or overly strict standards can hold back entire economies 🔹 What challenges developing countries face — Quality infrastructure gaps — Limited participation in international standard-setting — High compliance costs and market-access barriers 🔹 A path forward: Adapt → Align → Author The WDR 2025 proposes a practical, staged approach that helps countries build capacity, integrate into global value chains, and eventually shape the rules that govern world markets. Read the report: http://wrld.bg/AsY150XC8Ge ABOUT THE WORLD BANK 🌐 The World Bank is one of the world’s largest sources of funding and knowledge for low-income countries. Its five institutions share a commitment to reducing poverty, increasing shared prosperity, and promoting sustainable development on a livable planet. http://www.worldbank.org