Rising levels of obesity and diabetes around the world could halt a trend of decreasing mortality rates for cardiovascular diseases, such as strokes and heart attacks, and even cause rates to start rising again, particularly among younger people, according to a new OECD report.

Too many lives are still lost in OECD countries because healthcare quality is improving too slowly to cope with ageing populations and the growing number of people with one or more chronic diseases, according to a new OECD report.

The High-Level Commission on Health Employment and Economic Growth, chaired by H.E. François Hollande and H.E. Jacob Zuma, today delivered its final report and recommendations to United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.

The proliferation of high-cost medicines and rising drug prices are increasing pressures on public health spending and calling into question the pharmaceutical industry’s pricing strategies.

Purchasing Power Parities (PPPs) are commonly used to convert national currencies to a common unit. The main novel feature in the 2017 report is the collection of comparable and output-based prices for hospital services that can then be applied to matching health accounts expenditure data so as to derive consistent price and volume comparisons of health and hospital goods and services consumed.

This country note provides information on latest trends in income inequalities as well as key findings from the 2011 OECD report "Divided We Stand: Why Inequality Keeps Rising".

The Australian economy is robust and faces a solid short-term outlook, but it must continue adapting to ensure that its privileged place in the Asia-Pacific region contributes to long-term sustainable growth, according to the OECD’s latest Economic Survey of Australia.

Australians continue to enjoy one of the highest levels of health across the developed world but need to address Australia’s growing obesity problem, according to a new OECD report.

The city of Newcastle is fast emerging as a smart, liveable and sustainable city.

Ukraine is ranked 64 among 190 economies in the ease of doing business, according to the latest World Bank annual ratings. The rank of Ukraine improved to 64 in 2019 from 71 in 2018. Ease of Doing Business in Ukraine averaged 108.33 from 2008 until 2019, reaching an all time high of 152 in 2011 and a record low of 64 in 2019. The Ease of doing business index ranks countries against each other based on how the regulatory environment is conducive to business operationstronger protections of property rights. Economies with a high rank (1 to 20) have simpler and more friendly regulations for businesses. This page includes a chart with historical data for Ease of Doing Business in Ukraine.

Housing Index in Ukraine increased to 7.90 percent in the fourth quarter of 2019 from 6.40 percent in the third quarter of 2019. Housing Index in Ukraine averaged 5.58 percent from 2017 until 2019, reaching an all time high of 7.90 percent in the fourth quarter of 2019 and a record low of 2.20 percent in the first quarter of 2017. In Ukraine, Housing Index is measured by the annual change in the House Prices Index of New Housing. This page provides - Ukraine Housing Index- actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

This country note provides information on latest trends in income inequalities as well as key findings from the 2011 OECD report "Divided We Stand: Why Inequality Keeps Rising".

Gains in female education attainment have contributed to a worldwide increase in women’s participation in the labour force, but considerable gaps remain in working hours, conditions of employment and earnings.  More specific data for Japan are available in this country note.

Low oil prices and monetary easing are boosting growth in the world’s major economies, but the near-term pace of expansion remains modest, withabnormally low inflation and interest rates pointing to risks of financial instability, according to the OECD’s latest Interim Economic Assessment.

The Japanese economy is on a path to stronger growth, but fundamental structural reforms are urgently needed to promote a more robust recovery, address high levels of government debt and reverse a trend toward declining living standards, according to the latest OECD Economic Survey of Japan.

Fossil-fuel subsidies are environmentally harmful, costly, and distortive. After a 3 years downward trend between 2013 and 2016, government support for fossil fuel production and use has risen again, in a threat to efforts to curb greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution, and the transition to cleaner and cheaper energy.

Cpi Housing Utilities in Luxembourg decreased to 103.52 points in April from 105.45 points in March of 2020. Cpi Housing Utilities in Luxembourg averaged 101.92 points from 2015 until 2020, reaching an all time high of 107.16 points in January of 2020 and a record low of 97.48 points in April of 2016. This page provides - Luxembourg Cpi Housing Utilities- actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

The number of employed persons in Singapore increased to 3778 Thousand in 2019 from 3715.80 Thousand in 2018. Employed Persons in Singapore averaged 2739.03 Thousand from 1994 until 2019, reaching an all time high of 3778 Thousand in 2019 and a record low of 1714.20 Thousand in 1994. In Singapore, employed persons are individuals with a minimum required age who work during a certain time for a business. This page provides - Singapore Employed Persons - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

Cpi Housing Utilities in Myanmar increased to 200.49 points in February from 200.12 points in January of 2020. Cpi Housing Utilities in Myanmar averaged 135.41 points from 2013 until 2020, reaching an all time high of 200.49 points in February of 2020 and a record low of 103.93 points in January of 2013. This page provides - Myanmar Cpi Housing Utilities- actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

The MNI China business sentiment index increased to 55.9 in December of 2016 from 53.1 in November. The reading pointed to the highest figure since August 2014, as output rose the most since September 2015 while Future Expectations Indicator went up to the highest in three months. "This is a positive end to a choppy year for the Chinese business environment," said Andy Wu, Senior Economist of MNI Indicators. Mni Business Sentiment in China averaged 57.59 from 2007 until 2016, reaching an all time high of 77.20 in May of 2010 and a record low of 38.70 in December of 2008. The MNI China Business Sentiment survey is a monthly poll of Chinese business executives at a mix of manufacturing and service sector companies listed on both the Shanghai and Shenzhen stock exchanges. The survey provides the first monthly snapshot of economic and business conditions, ahead of official data and other business confidence data in China. Respondents are asked their opinion on whether a particular business activity has increased, decreased remained the same compared with the previous month as well as their expectations for three months ahead. E.g. Is Production Higher/Same/Lower compared with a month ago? A diffusion indicator is then calculated by adding the percentage share of positive responses to half the percentage of those respondents reporting no change. An indicator reading above 50 shows expansion, below 50 indicates contraction and a result of 50 means no change. Series which show a seasonal pattern are seasonally adjusted. This page provides - China Mni Business Sentiment- actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

Mni Business Sentiment in India increased to 66 in August from 62.80 in July of 2016. Mni Business Sentiment in India averaged 62.44 from 2012 until 2016, reaching an all time high of 71.20 in September of 2014 and a record low of 47.50 in April of 2013. Mni Business Sentiment in India is reported by the MNI Deutsche Börse Group. The MNI India Business Sentiment Survey is a monthly poll of Indian business executives at a mix of manufacturing and service sector companies listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange. The survey provides the first monthly snapshot of economic and business conditions, ahead of official data in India. Respondents are asked their opinion on whether a particular business activity has increased, decreased remained the same compared with the previous month as well as their expectations for three months ahead. E.g. Is Production Higher/Same/Lower compared with a month ago? A diffusion indicator is then calculated by adding the percentage share of positive responses to half the percentage of those respondents reporting no change. An indicator reading above 50 shows expansion, below 50 indicates contraction and a result of 50 means no change. Series which show a seasonal pattern are seasonally adjusted. This page provides - India Mni Business Sentiment- actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

Gains in female education attainment have contributed to a worldwide increase in women’s participation in the labour force, but considerable gaps remain in working hours, conditions of employment and earnings.  More specific data for Austria are available in this country note.

As a further sign of international efforts to crack down on tax offenders, 12 more countries have signed, or committed to sign, the OECD’s Multilateral Convention on Mutual Administrative Assistance in Tax Matters. In addition, another 6 countries have ratified the Convention.

Housing Index in Uruguay increased to 273.05 Index Points in the fourth quarter of 2013 from 217.47 Index Points in the second quarter of 2013. Housing Index in Uruguay averaged 140.18 Index Points from 1991 until 2013, reaching an all time high of 273.05 Index Points in the fourth quarter of 2013 and a record low of 43.35 Index Points in the fourth quarter of 2003. In Uruguay, Housing Index is measured by the Index of New Housing Construction Volume with the base value of 100 in 1990. This page provides - Uruguay New Housing Construction Index - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

Uruguay is ranked 101 among 190 economies in the ease of doing business, according to the latest World Bank annual ratings. The rank of Uruguay deteriorated to 101 in 2019 from 95 in 2018. Ease of Doing Business in Uruguay averaged 95.83 from 2008 until 2019, reaching an all time high of 114 in 2009 and a record low of 85 in 2012. The Ease of doing business index ranks countries against each other based on how the regulatory environment is conducive to business operationstronger protections of property rights. Economies with a high rank (1 to 20) have simpler and more friendly regulations for businesses. This page includes a chart with historical data for Ease of Doing Business in Uruguay.

CPI Housing Utilities in Uruguay increased to 218.89 points in April from 209.60 points in March of 2020. CPI Housing Utilities in Uruguay averaged 97.18 points from 1997 until 2020, reaching an all time high of 218.89 points in April of 2020 and a record low of 28.79 points in March of 1997. This page provides - Uruguay Cpi Housing- actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

Government Debt in Singapore increased to 641094.30 SGD Million in the fourth quarter of 2019 from 612971.40 SGD Million in the third quarter of 2019. Government Debt in Singapore averaged 234324.80 SGD Million from 1990 until 2019, reaching an all time high of 641094.30 SGD Million in the fourth quarter of 2019 and a record low of 47443.50 SGD Million in the first quarter of 1990. This page provides - Singapore Government Debt- actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

Cpi Housing Utilities in Morocco increased to 117.70 points in March from 117.60 points in February of 2020. Cpi Housing Utilities in Morocco averaged 110.13 points from 2008 until 2020, reaching an all time high of 117.70 points in October of 2019 and a record low of 103.30 points in November of 2008. This page provides - Morocco Cpi Housing Utilities- actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

In most OECD countries tax revenues are continuing to rise in relation to GDP from the 2008-09 declines seen at the beginning of the crisis, according to OECD’s annual Revenue Statistics. OECD countries collected about 34.0% of GDP in taxes in 2011, compared with 33.8% in 2010.

This study models the distance-to-default (DTD) of a large sample of banks from 2004 to 2011 and examines the results from the perspective of policy approaches that aim to reduce the riskiness of banks.

This paper addresses several broad issues for governments aiming to encourage private sector investment in low-carbon climate resilient (LCR) infrastructure, in both developed and developing world contexts.

This article summarises discussions from a financial roundtable addressing concerns about structural flaws in the way banks operate and are being regulated and supervised in the wake of on-going banking sector problems involving financial fraud and banking scandals.

Sovereign index-linked bond issuance has grown significantly since the early 1980s and index-linked bonds have become a widely accepted part of the set of instruments that sovereign debt managers use for funding purposes. This paper sets out a methodology for assessing their cost effectiveness relative to other financing options, using UK examples for illustration.

The bank regulator's paradox is that large, complex and interconnected banks need very little capital in the good times, but they can never have enough in an extreme crisis. Separation is required to deal with this problem, which derives mainly from counterparty risk. This paper outlines the OECD’s separation proposal and also compares it to current national approaches to separation.

The main hallmarks of the global financial crisis were too-big-to-fail institutions taking on too much risk with other people’s money: excess leverage and default pressure resulting from contagion and counterparty risk. This paper looks at whether the Basel III reforms address these issues effectively and proposes improvements to the current reform proposals.

The greatest puzzle today is that since the global crisis financial markets see so little risk, with asset prices rising everywhere in response to zero interest rates and quantitative easing, while companies that invest in the real economy appear see so much more risk. What can be happening?

Responsible business conduct (RBC) is an essential part of an open international investment climate. The activities of multinational enterprises often span multiple countries and many cultural, legal, and regulatory environments.

What is blocking business investment and productivity growth? OECD Business and Finance Outlook 2016 will focus on fragmentation at all levels of the global economy: heterogeneous policies, rules, laws and industry practices that create perverse incentives and block business efficiency.

This study explores the effectiveness of the incentive mechanisms embedded within the UK’s Funding for Lending Scheme (FLS) for banks’ to expand their supply of lending to medium sized enterprises (SMEs).

Paris, 8 March 2017: Taking place on International Women's Day, this OECD-hosted conference considered questions such as gender differences in financial literacy and inclusion; women working in the informal economy and the role of business: gender differences in the changing pensions landscape; empowering women to fight back against corruption and engaging men to support gender equality in the workplace.

Promoting responsible business conduct in the financial sector is vital to building a sustainable global economy. This paper will help institutional investors implement the due diligence recommendations of the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises in order to prevent or address adverse impacts related to human and labour rights, the environment, and corruption in their investment portfolios.

Insurance is invisible yet it is everywhere. It is intimately linked to how people live their lives, grow their businesses, save and invest their incomes, anticipate what is essential to them and how they protect themselves against risk.

The OECD Business and Finance Scoreboard accompanies the OECD Business and Finance Outlook by providing a commented overview of selected indicators and data related to corporate performance, banking, capital markets, pensions and investments.

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are increasingly turning to alternative sources of financing, while new bank lending is declining in a number of countries. Many SMEs remain over-reliant on bank credit, however, and the take-up of instruments other than straight debt varies greatly from one country to another, according to a new OECD report.

Global outstanding debt in the form of corporate bonds issued by non-financial companies has hit record levels, reaching almost USD 13 trillion at the end of 2018. This is double the amount outstanding in real terms before the 2008 financial crisis, according to a new OECD paper.

Cpi Housing Utilities in Rwanda increased to 126.10 points in March from 123.66 points in February of 2020. Cpi Housing Utilities in Rwanda averaged 102.66 points from 2009 until 2020, reaching an all time high of 126.10 points in March of 2020 and a record low of 87.71 points in April of 2010. This page provides - Rwanda Cpi Housing Utilities- actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

Gains in female education attainment have contributed to a worldwide increase in women’s participation in the labour force, but considerable gaps remain in working hours, conditions of employment and earnings.  More specific data for Beligum are available in this country note.

Brunei is ranked 66 among 190 economies in the ease of doing business, according to the latest World Bank annual ratings. The rank of Brunei deteriorated to 66 in 2019 from 55 in 2018. Ease of Doing Business in Brunei averaged 79 from 2008 until 2019, reaching an all time high of 105 in 2014 and a record low of 55 in 2018. The Ease of doing business index ranks countries against each other based on how the regulatory environment is conducive to business operationstronger protections of property rights. Economies with a high rank (1 to 20) have simpler and more friendly regulations for businesses. This page includes a chart with historical data for Ease of Doing Business in Brunei.

Cpi Housing Utilities in Malawi increased to 112.13 points in March from 112.10 points in February of 2020. Cpi Housing Utilities in Malawi averaged 108.30 points from 2017 until 2020, reaching an all time high of 112.13 points in March of 2020 and a record low of 100 points in December of 2017. This page provides - Malawi Cpi Housing Utilities- actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

Cpi Housing Utilities in Mali increased to 109.50 points in March from 109.20 points in February of 2020. Cpi Housing Utilities in Mali averaged 109.73 points from 2011 until 2020, reaching an all time high of 119.90 points in October of 2015 and a record low of 99.20 points in January of 2012. This page provides - Mali Cpi Housing Utilities- actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.