The global economy faces a pressing challenge: over the next decade, 1.2 billion young people in emerging markets will reach working age, but only 420 million jobs are expected to be created. This leaves hundreds of millions, many from poor and vulnerable communities, without stable income or opportunities for economic mobility. While long-term job creation requires private sector growth and public sector reform, immediate solutions are needed for those who cannot afford to wait. Small, targeted investments can generate meaningful and rapid progress in addressing the growing jobs gap.
Economic inclusion programs have emerged as a proven, scalable solution to support those in urgent need of employment opportunities. These initiatives combine income support with business capital, entrepreneurship and life skills training, coaching, market access, and integration into value chains. By layering these interventions, economic inclusion programs foster income generation, self-employment, and asset accumulation—particularly for women—while promoting long-term self-reliance.
Evidence from multiple countries shows that economic inclusion programs sustainably increase incomes. In Zambia and Niger, business profits rose by 45% and 107% respectively, with effects persisting years after program completion. In Zambia, nearly 145,000 women benefited, and household incomes continued to rise three years after the program ended, driven by an 80% increase in business profits. Similar long-term gains have been observed in India, with income improvements sustained ten years post-program. Global studies from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ghana, Nepal, and Niger show benefit-cost ratios of 121 to 379 percent, with every US$1 invested yielding US$3.8 in benefits by year ten.
Countries are increasingly scaling economic inclusion programs to reach those most in need. Currently, over 400 programs operate across 88 countries, benefiting more than 70 million people directly or indirectly. Many are government-led and integrated into broader social protection and job creation policies. Recent initiatives, such as the World Bank Group’s Academy Impact Program launched by Brazil, provide peer learning and guidance to help countries design and scale evidence-based economic inclusion programs. Global partners, including BRAC International and the Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty, collaborate with governments to tailor programs to local contexts while advancing research and evidence-based practices.
The World Bank is backing these efforts with substantial investment, committing nearly $30 billion in social protection financing to support over 222 million people in 72 countries. As part of its SP500 target—to extend social protection and employment support to 500 million more people by 2030—the Bank emphasizes economic inclusion programs as a key strategy for increasing income, fostering self-sufficiency, and building ladders of opportunity for people living in poverty.
