Over the past three decades, the extent of global poverty has declined rapidly. The percentage of people living in extreme poverty in 2013 is less than half of what it was in 1990. Based on this trend, it is possible to envision a world in which extreme poverty has effectively been eliminated within a generation. Yet today, more than 1 billion people worldwide are still destitute, inequality and social exclusion seem to be rising in several countries, and many urgent and complex challenges must be overcome to maintain the recent momentum in poverty reduction.

In this context, the World Bank Group has established ambitious but achievable goals on which to anchor its work in meeting these historic challenges. Specifically, the institution will strive to end extreme poverty at the global level by 2030 and to promote shared prosperity in developing countries, which will entail fostering income growth for the bottom 40 percent of the population. This effort will involve investing in opportunities for all citizens and reducing inequality, which are integral to creating prosperity and sustaining economic growth. These goals will be pursued in an environmentally, socially, and economically sustainable manner to ensure that development gains do not harm the welfare of current and future generations.

This Annual Report focuses on the work of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) and the International Development Association (IDA), collectively known as the World Bank. We encourage you to explore the Annual Report 2013 website to learn more about the Bank’s work—the activities and outcomes it supports in the six regions in which it works, and the results of that work in helping to overcome poverty and create opportunities for people in developing countries. In addition to the report itself, you will find comprehensive lending data, organizational information, full financial statements, the Results 2013 report, as well as the updated World Bank Corporate Scorecard.