Japan has good health outcomes and has rapidly increased its spending on health care in recent years. It now needs to focus on improving efficiency of its health system in order to continue delivering high-quality care while containing costs, according to a new OECD report.

Elderly individuals with complex, chronic diseases need continuous and tailored care to maintain their health and maximise their ability to participate in society. Japan must change the way it delivers health services for older citizens by strengthening its specialist primary care and making mental health care services more widely available, according to a new OECD report.

The global economy continues to run at low speed and many countries, particularly in Europe, seem unable to overcome the legacies of the crisis. With high unemployment, high inequality and low trust still weighing heavily, it is imperative to swiftly implement reforms that boost demand and employment and raise potential growth.

The number of young people not in employment, education or training (NEETs) remains elevated in many countries since the crisis. This country note examines the characteristics of those at risk of being NEET in Japan with policies to help meet the challenge. It also includes many new youth-specific indicators on family formation, self-sufficiency, income and poverty, health and social cohesion.

This country highlight puts the spotlight on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people: their numbers, their economic situation and well-being and policies to improve LGBT inclusivity. It also includes a special chapter on people’s perceptions of social and economic risks and presents a selection of social indicators.

This country fact-sheet presents key figures from "Under Pressure: The Squeezed Middle Class". This report analyses the trends of middle-income households in areas such as employment, consumption, wealth and debt, as well as perceptions and social attitudes. It also includes recommendations for protecting middle-class living standards and financial security in the face of economic challenges.

The Skills Outlook Scoreboard assesses the extent to which Japan is able to make the most of digitalisation. Japan’s performance is measured along 3 main dimensions: Skills for digitalisation, Digital exposure and Skills-related policy effort.

International efforts to improve transparency via automatic exchange of information on financial accounts are improving tax compliance and delivering concrete results for governments worldwide, according to new data released today by the OECD.

Exports of Prepared Foodstuffs Beverages & Tobacco in South Africa increased to 3490.92 ZAR Million in March from 2608.19 ZAR Million in February of 2020. Exports of Prepared Foodstuffs Beverages & Tobacco in South Africa averaged 2920.53 ZAR Million from 2014 until 2020, reaching an all time high of 4194.88 ZAR Million in October of 2018 and a record low of 1704.27 ZAR Million in January of 2015. This page includes a chart with historical data for South Africa Exports of Prepared Foodstuffs Beverages & Tobacco.

Exports of Prepared Foodstuffs CMLV in South Africa increased to 8211.67 ZAR Million in March from 4721.24 ZAR Million in February of 2020. Exports of Prepared Foodstuffs CMLV in South Africa averaged 17455.80 ZAR Million from 2014 until 2020, reaching an all time high of 39028.74 ZAR Million in December of 2019 and a record low of 1704.27 ZAR Million in January of 2015. South Africa accounts for Exports of Prepared Foodstuffs using cumulative values for each year (CMLV). This page includes a chart with historical data for South Africa Exports of Prepared Foodstuffs CMLV.

Exports: Special Classification Provisions Spare Parts in South Africa decreased to 0.07 ZAR Million in March from 1.38 ZAR Million in February of 2020. Exports: Special Classification Provisions Spare P in South Africa averaged 1.09 ZAR Million from 2014 until 2020, reaching an all time high of 16.61 ZAR Million in December of 2017 and a record low of 0 ZAR Million in April of 2019. This page includes a chart with historical data for South Africa Exports of Special Classification Provisions Spar.

Imports: Special Classification Provisions Spare Parts in South Africa increased to 9741.91 ZAR Million in March from 9091.26 ZAR Million in February of 2020. Imports: Special Classification Provisions Spare P in South Africa averaged 7610.38 ZAR Million from 2014 until 2020, reaching an all time high of 11547.82 ZAR Million in July of 2019 and a record low of 2876.49 ZAR Million in December of 2016. This page includes a chart with historical data for South Africa Imports of Special Classification Provisions Spar.

Imports of Prepared Foodstuffs CMLV in South Africa increased to 7844.80 ZAR Million in March from 5232.91 ZAR Million in February of 2020. Imports of Prepared Foodstuffs CMLV in South Africa averaged 15470.38 ZAR Million from 2014 until 2020, reaching an all time high of 33740.12 ZAR Million in December of 2019 and a record low of 2037.38 ZAR Million in January of 2016. South Africa accounts for Imports of Prepared Foodstuffs using cumulative values for each year (CMLV). This page includes a chart with historical data for South Africa Imports of Prepared Foodstuffs CMLV.

Imports of Prepared Foodstuffs Beverages & Tobacco in South Africa increased to 2612.43 ZAR Million in March from 2292.20 ZAR Million in February of 2020. Imports of Prepared Foodstuffs Beverages & Tobacco in South Africa averaged 2502.29 ZAR Million from 2014 until 2020, reaching an all time high of 3674.84 ZAR Million in October of 2019 and a record low of 1707.09 ZAR Million in June of 2014. This page includes a chart with historical data for South Africa Imports of Prepared Foodstuffs Beverages & Tobacco.

The number of employed persons In the Euro Area increased to 160.58 Million in the fourth quarter of 2019 from 160.15 Million in the third quarter of 2019. Employed Persons in the Euro Area averaged 137.69 Million from 1980 until 2019, reaching an all time high of 160.58 Million in the fourth quarter of 2019 and a record low of 117.36 Million in the second quarter of 1984. in the Euro Area, employed persons are individuals with a minimum required age who work during a certain time for a business. This page provides the latest reported value for - Euro Area Employed Persons - plus previous releases, historical high and low, short-term forecast and long-term prediction, economic calendar, survey consensus and news.

An overview of the long-term care situation in Austria is available here.

Furthering efforts to fight against international tax evasion and bank secrecy, members of the Global Forum on Transparency and Exchange of Information for Tax Purposes have issued 12 new peer review reports.

The Global Forum on Transparency and Exchange of Information for Tax Purposes has released peer review reports assessing the tax systems of 13 jurisdictions for information exchange.

The number of young people not in employment, education or training (NEETs) remains elevated in many countries since the crisis. This country note examines the characteristics of those at risk of being NEET in Austria along with policies to help meet the challenge. It also includes many new youth-specific indicators on family formation, self-sufficiency, income and poverty, health and social cohesion.

This country fact-sheet presents key figures from "Under Pressure: The Squeezed Middle Class". This report analyses the trends of middle-income households in areas such as employment, consumption, wealth and debt, as well as perceptions and social attitudes. It also includes recommendations for protecting middle-class living standards and financial security in the face of economic challenges.

Government Debt In the Euro Area increased to 9859512.70 EUR Million in 2018 from 9760551 EUR Million in 2017. Government Debt in the Euro Area averaged 6776424.73 EUR Million from 1995 until 2018, reaching an all time high of 9859512.70 EUR Million in 2018 and a record low of 4072618.10 EUR Million in 1995. This page provides - Euro Area Government Debt- actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

OECD countries are intensifying their fiscal consolidation efforts, introducing additional measures and extending the time horizon to implement them. Most have announced fiscal consolidation of more than 3% of GDP over the period 2009-15, according to the OECD’s Restoring Public Finances 2012.

Big changes are needed to strengthen the capital positions of euro area banks. European banks remain at the heart of the euro area crisis. Despite actions to strengthen banks and build a banking union, confidence in the euro area banking system remains weak, and is likely to remain so until underlying concerns over low capitalisation of some banks are addressed.

This regional seminar in Montevideo, Uruguay, focused on the monitoring and transparency of insurance markets in Latin America through the provision of sound insurance statistics and indicators, regionally and globally.

The global economy continues to run at low speed and many countries, particularly in Europe, seem unable to overcome the legacies of the crisis. With high unemployment, high inequality and low trust still weighing heavily, it is imperative to swiftly implement reforms that boost demand and employment and raise potential growth.

This report develops a framework that classifies investments according to different types of financing instruments and investment funds, and highlights the risk mitigants and transaction enablers that intermediaries can use to mobilise institutionally held capital.

The global economy is expected to pick up moderately but greater efforts are needed to ensure that the benefits from growth and globalisation are more widely shared, according to the OECD’s latest Economic Outlook.

A new OECD report, the 2018 Business and Finance Outlook, highlights a number of major risks having the potential to disrupt global economic growth. It notes that the gradual normalisation of monetary policy in an environment of growing debt will be a major test of whether the Basel III regulatory reforms have achieved their goal of ensuring safety and soundness in the financial system.

Mr. Angel Gurría, Secretary-General of the OECD, will be in Bucharest on 5-6 April 2019 to attend the Informal Meeting of European Economic and Financial Affairs Ministers (ECOFIN).

An overview of the long-term care situation in Belgium is available here.

Furthering efforts to fight against international tax evasion and bank secrecy, members of the Global Forum on Transparency and Exchange of Information for Tax Purposes have issued 12 new peer review reports.

According to a new OECD report, variation in rates of health care activity across geographic areas in countries is a cause for concern. Wide variation suggests that whether or not you will receive a particular health service depends to a very great extent on where you live within a country.

The Brazilian economy has made a rapid recovery from the global economic crisis, but further reforms are necessary to boost long-term growth, spur investment and further reduce poverty, according to the OECD’s latest Economic Survey of Brazil.

Can both less income inequality and more growth be achieved? A recent OECD study sheds new light on the link between policies that boost growth and the distribution of income.

Restoring competitiveness is one of the key challenges to bring European economies back on a path of strong, sustainable and balanced growth. Europe could improve its growth prospects by implementing a strategic reform agenda with a broad range of policy reforms to increase productivity, dynamism and employment.

The euro area crisis finds its roots in the credit booms seen in many countries following the introduction of the euro in 1999. Easy credit led to strong growth in a range of sectors, notably housing, as well as higher levels of public spending. Inflation in these over-heating economies was higher than the euro area as a whole. Rising prices led to rising costs and a loss of international competitiveness.

Big changes are needed to strengthen the capital positions of euro area banks. European banks remain at the heart of the euro area crisis. Despite actions to strengthen banks and build a banking union, confidence in the euro area banking system remains weak, and is likely to remain so until underlying concerns over low capitalisation of some banks are addressed.

The Netherlands, as other OECD countries, faces the challenge of providing high quality health and long term care services to an ageing population in a cost-efficient manner.

The Slovak economy experienced a strong but short recession in 2009. The recovery afterwards was driven by exports and investment. While GDP growth was one of the strongest in OECD, employment did not reach the pre-crisis level and unemployment remains stubbornly high.

Britain must continue to pursue pro-growth, as well as inequality-reducing structural reforms in order to recover from the nation’s deepest recession in nearly a century, according to a new OECD report.

A simple econometric framework is presented linking current account balances of euro area countries to intra and extra euro area competitiveness, cyclical positions, fiscal positions and the oil price.

Employment has risen by more and unemployment has risen less than expected, given the path of output. Nevertheless, long-term and youth unemployment and involuntary part-time work are high. A polarised labour market risks worsening income inequality, which is high by OECD standards, despite a recent and likely temporary decline.

This paper proposes a new set of public health and long-term care expenditure projections until 2060, seven years after a first set of projections was published by the OECD. It disentangles health from long-term care expenditure, as well as the demographic from the non-demographic drivers, and refines the previous methodology, in particular by extending the country coverage.

This paper derives estimates of the efficiency of welfare spending in Slovenia and the other OECD countries from data envelopment analysis based on model specifications used in earlier OECD studies.

This paper provides new projections of public spending on health and long-term care for OECD countries and the BRIICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, Indonesia, China and South Africa). Despite the inevitable uncertainty surrounding projections, they suggest a rapidly rising trend over the next 50 years.

After five years of work at every level to correct the fiscal, financial and external imbalances that led to the crisis, and to reinforce fiscal and financial institutions, the Euro Area is beginning to show signs of recovery. But, despite these positive signs, growth is still weak and uneven.

Recovery is under way in the world’s advanced economies, underpinned by supportive financial conditions and reduced drag from budgetary tightening, but activity in the major emerging markets is mixed, according to the OECD’s latest Interim Economic Assessment.

The Czech economy is finally coming out of a prolonged recession but must take further steps to speed up income convergence towards the euro area countries, according to the OECD’s latest Economic Survey of the Czech Republic.

Israelis enjoy higher life expectancy and have a much younger demographic profile than most OECD countries. However, the demand for health care is expanding rapidly due to population growth and ageing.

This paper investigates the vulnerabilities of health care systems in OECD and BRIICS countries to adverse secular trends and large macroeconomic shocks.