Now in its thirteenth annual edition, the World Development Report 1990 is an essential reference on the world economy and the state of social and economic development. Like earlier editions, the 1990 Report incorporates research from all over the world, analyzing the conditions that surroundthe growth process and offering insights on appropriate policy measures for the future. Beginning with a review of developments in the world economy during the 1980s, the 1990 Report reassesses the role of public policy in reducing poverty in the developing world and describes how pricing and publicinvestment, the delivery of social services, the provision of transfers and safety nets, and tradeoffs and complimentarities can contribute to a poverty-reducing strategy. With its timely survey and synthesis of contemporary economic issues around the world, the World Development Report 1990 isinvaluable to readers and policymakers interested in economic development, international economics, and international politics.