Development is a multidimensional process characterized by economic growth, investment and technological progress, transformation of natural resources, demographic change, advances in health and education, and evolution of social and political institutions. The results of development should be measurable by increases in output, improvements in the welfare of people, greater efficiency in the use of scarce resources, and a balance between human needs and the capacity of the environment to provide for those needs. Because development is a complex process, it cannot be measured by a single yardstick. Simply measuring the size of an economy or its rate of growth tells us little about who benefited from growth, whether they are better educated and healthier, or if the air, water, and land around them have been degraded. Furthermore, there is no simple or unique path to development. This book seeks to provide a comprehensive picture of the world's development at the beginning of the 21st century.