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.

The ability to measure innovation is essential to an improvement strategy in education. This country note analyses how the practices are changing within classrooms and educational organisations and how teachers develop and use their pedagogical resources.

Global Value Chains (GVCs) are a dominant feature of the world economy that impact growth, jobs and development, but numerous challenges remain to ensure that all countries and all firms have the opportunity to participate and benefit.

According to a new OECD report, variation in rates of health care activity between geographic areas within a country may be a cause for concern. Wide variation suggests that whether or not patients receive a particular health service depends on the region where they live within a country.

In a boost for international efforts to strengthen co-operation against offshore tax evasion, seven new countries have joined the agreement to exchange information automatically under the OECD/G20 standard.

Australia has been successful at reducing the mortality due to cardiovascular diseases. The mortality from cardiovascular diseases (CVD) has decreased over the past 50 years at a faster pace than the OECD average, reaching 208 per 100 000 population, 30% lower than the OECD average of 299 in 2011.

A Broken Social Elevator? Key findings for Australia

The Sales Tax Rate in Ukraine stands at 20 percent. In Ukraine, the sales tax rate is a tax charged to consumers based on the purchase price of certain goods and services. The benchmark we use for the sales tax rate refers to the highest rate. Revenues from the Sales Tax Rate are an important source of income for the government of Ukraine. This page provides - Ukraine Sales Tax Rate - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

Ukraine recorded a government budget surplus of 32732.72 UAH Million in March of 2020. Government Budget Value in Ukraine averaged -3534.40 UAH Million from 2002 until 2020, reaching an all time high of 78049.51 UAH Million in December of 2019 and a record low of -72030.46 UAH Million in December of 2014. The government budget balance is the difference between government revenues and expenses. The budget is balanced when outlays equal to receipts, the country reports budget surplus when revenues are higher than expenses and deficit when expenses exceed the revenues. This page provides - Ukraine Government Budget Value - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

Without adequate investment in skills, people languish on the margins of society, technological progress does not translate into inclusive economic growth, and countries can no longer compete in an increasingly knowledge-based global society, said OECD Secretary-General.

A moderate recovery is underway in the major advanced economies, according to the OECD’s latest Interim Economic Assessment. Growth is proceeding at encouraging rates in North America, Japan and the UK. The euro area as a whole is out of recession, although output remains weak in a number of countries.

OECD Secretary-General, Angel Gurría, congratulated Japanese Prime Minister Abe on his announcement today that Japan will raise its consumption tax as legislated from the current 5% to 8% next April.

After two decades of low growth and persistent deflation, Japan is showing signs of renewed economic dynamism. But to regain its primacy as a leading economic powerhouse and raise the well-being of its citizens, Japan needs a structural reform package to narrow the productivity gap with leading OECD countries, notably by increasing the labour participation of women and older citizens.

I am delighted to be at Tokyo University this afternoon for the launch of the Innovative Schools Network. As one of Asia’s foremost institutions of education, one which prides itself on moving forward the frontiers of human knowledge in the interests of society at large, Todai (Tokyo University) is the perfect setting for today’s event.

Japan has been successful at reducing the mortality due to cardiovascular diseases (CVD) but there is room to reduce the burden of CVD and diabetes even more.

日本は心疾患による死亡率を減少させるのに成功したが、心疾患と糖尿病の負担をさらに減らす余 地は残されている

To improve productivity and help address socio-economic challenges, such as ageing, Japan needs to strengthen its innovation performance.

壊れた社会的流動性エレベーター？ 社会的流動性を向上させるには 他国と比べて日本は?

A broken social elevator? Key findings for Japan

Japan’s agriculture sector has traditionally been characterised by small-scale rice production, but has recently begun to respond to new market opportunities for higher value food products across a rapidly growing East Asia. Today, rice represents less than 20% of the value of agriculture production, and larger, more productive, and more profitable farm businesses now account for more than half of total agriculture output.

Private Debt To GDP in Luxembourg decreased to 485.07 percent in 2018 from 488.87 percent in 2017. Private Debt To GDP in Luxembourg averaged 351.89 percent from 1999 until 2018, reaching an all time high of 488.87 percent in 2017 and a record low of 165.68 percent in 2000. Private sector debt to GDP measures the indebtedness of both sectors, non-financial corporations and households and non-profit institutions serving households, as a percentage of GDP. This page provides - Luxembourg Private Debt To Gdp- actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

Luxembourg recorded a government budget surplus of 1600 EUR Million in 2018. Government Budget Value in Luxembourg averaged 587.22 EUR Million from 1995 until 2018, reaching an all time high of 1600 EUR Million in 2018 and a record low of -358.40 EUR Million in 2004. The government budget balance is the difference between government revenues and expenses. The budget is balanced when outlays equal to receipts, the country reports budget surplus when revenues are higher than expenses and deficit when expenses exceed the revenues. This page provides - Luxembourg Government Budget Value - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

The Sales Tax Rate in Luxembourg stands at 17 percent. Sales Tax Rate in Luxembourg averaged 15.57 percent from 2000 until 2020, reaching an all time high of 17 percent in 2015 and a record low of 15 percent in 2001. In Luxembourg, the sales tax rate is a tax charged to consumers based on the purchase price of certain goods and services. The benchmark we use for the sales tax rate refers to the highest rate. Revenues from the Sales Tax Rate are an important source of income for the government of Luxembourg. This page provides - Luxembourg Sales Tax Rate | VAT - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

The Sales Tax Rate in Andorra stands at 4.50 percent. In Andorra, the sales tax rate is a tax charged to consumers based on the purchase price of certain goods and services. The benchmark we use for the sales tax rate refers to the standard rate. Revenues from the Sales Tax Rate are an important source of income for the government of Andorra. This page provides - Andorra Sales Tax Rate | VAT - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

The Sales Tax Rate in Guam stands at 2 percent. Sales Tax Rate in Guam averaged 3.14 percent from 2014 until 2020, reaching an all time high of 4 percent in 2015 and a record low of 2 percent in 2018. In Guam, the sales tax rate is a tax charged to consumers based on the purchase price of certain goods and services. The benchmark we use for the sales tax rate refers to the highest rate. Revenues from the Sales Tax Rate are an important source of income for the government of Guam. This page provides - Guam Sales Tax Rate | VAT - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

This spotlight report draws upon the OECD report Equity and Quality in Education: Supporting Disadvantaged Students and Schools.

Austria has taken important steps to improve its school system, but needs to reform its complex school governance to further improve quality and equity, according to a new OECD report.

The Sales Tax Rate in Uruguay stands at 22 percent. Sales Tax Rate in Uruguay averaged 22.13 percent from 2006 until 2020, reaching an all time high of 23 percent in 2007 and a record low of 22 percent in 2008. In Uruguay, the sales tax rate is a tax charged to consumers based on the purchase price of certain goods and services. The benchmark we use for the sales tax rate refers to the highest rate. Revenues from the Sales Tax Rate are an important source of income for the government of Uruguay. This page provides - Uruguay Sales Tax Rate - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

Uruguay recorded a government budget deficit of 35177.36 UYU Million in February of 2020. Government Budget Value in Uruguay averaged -1838.32 UYU Million from 1999 until 2020, reaching an all time high of 11132.20 UYU Million in April of 2012 and a record low of -35177.36 UYU Million in February of 2020. The government budget balance is the difference between government revenues and expenses. The budget is balanced when outlays equal to receipts, the country reports budget surplus when revenues are higher than expenses and deficit when expenses exceed the revenues. This page provides - Uruguay Government Budget Value - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

Government Debt in Slovakia decreased to 43184 EUR Million in the fourth quarter of 2019 from 43273 EUR Million in the third quarter of 2019. Government Debt in Slovakia averaged 28637.91 EUR Million from 2002 until 2019, reaching an all time high of 44329 EUR Million in the third quarter of 2018 and a record low of 12737 EUR Million in the first quarter of 2003. This page provides - Slovakia Government Debt- actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

This report concludes that actual application of bail-ins, involving bondholders in loss sharing, could effectively reign in perceptions of implicit guarantees for bank debt. However, bail-ins are rare owing to concerns about contagion risks and depositor and investor protection, so implicit guarantees persist.

The 2013 Global Forum focused on a number of critical policy, regulatory and supervisory issues affecting private and public pension provision in the Asia region.

The value of implicit guarantees has declined from its peak at the height of the financial crisis, which is consistent with progress made regarding the bank regulatory reform agenda, as one would expect that many of the reform measures imply a more limited value of implicit guarantees for bank debt. Implicit guarantees persist however and their value continues to be significant.

2-3 October 2014, Swakopmund, Namibia: This event focused on the pension reform process in Africa, tax and the financial incentives that affect savings in complementary private pensions, and the role of pension funds in long-term investment financing and capital market development.

This article summarises discussions from an OECD Financial Roundtable on reducing bank dependence in financing small-and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and non-bank debt financing alternatives.

This paper analyses the effects of government policies on flows of private finance for investment in renewable energy. It also examines whether direct provision of public finance for a project increases the volume of private finance raised. The analysis covers 87 countries, six renewable energy sectors (wind, solar, biomass, small hydropower, marine and geothermal).

The 2015 OECD-GFLEC symposium is addressing financial literacy for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises and harnessing financial education to spur entrepreneurship and innovation.

Taking place in Berlin on 29-30 October, the 2015 Global Forum will explore current trends in global private pension systems and the ways in which pension regulatory and supervisory authorities are managing and reacting to the evolution of these systems.

This stocktaking report profiles the tax treatment of funded private pension plans across all OECD and EU countries. The information refers to 2015 or the latest year with available data and covers all types of funded private pension plans in each country.

28 April 2016, Paris - OECD, IOPS and the World Bank are joining forces to expand the reach of the OECD’s Global Pension Statistics database and annual Pensions Markets in Focus report. This collaboration with the World Bank will help bring data from emerging and developing economies that are not currently included in the database.

This review of Colombia by the OECD Working Party on Private Pensions examines Colombia’s position with respect to core principles related to pension systems.

Public policy has an important role to play in promoting research and development (R&D) and the development, diffusion, and use of new knowledge and innovations. Fiscal incentives, including tax policies, should be directed at specific barriers, impediments or synergies to facilitate the desired level of investment in R&D and innovations.

Leaders of the G20 countries meeting at their Summit in Hangzhou, China, have called on the OECD to help develop an agenda to build a stronger, more innovative and inclusive world economy.

9-10 November 2016, Hong Kong, China - The 2016 Global Forum will focus on making private pensions work better and, in particular, consumer protection in the pensions area.

Funded Pension arrangements, in particular defined contribution ones, are playing a growing role in complementing retirement income from public sources in OECD countries and worldwide. However, their design needs to be improved, according to a new OECD report.

Since the financial crisis, infrastructure investment has moved up the political agenda in most countries – now also including the USA. Asia is often seen as the world’s infrastructure laboratory, with massive construction of transport and energy projects. This article discusses infrastructure investment, private finance, and institutional investors in Asia from a global perspective.

This working paper assesses the impact of climate mitigation policies and the quality of the investment environment on investment and innovation in renewable power in OECD and G20 countries. It also examines how countries’ investment environments interact with climate mitigation policies to influence investment and patent activity in renewable power.

‌07/09/2017 - Flooding is one of the most common, wide-reaching and destructive natural perils, affecting on average about 250 million people around the world each year. OECD work on the financial management of flood risk has identified a number of ways that policy makers can improve the way they manage the financial implications of floods.

“Insurtech”is the term being used to describe the new technologies with the potential to bring innovation to the insurance sector and impact the regulatory practices of insurance markets. This report catalogues these technologies and examines how InsurTech is being funded and how insurers are engaging with the start-ups entering the market.

24-25 October 2017, Mauritius - The 2017 global forum explored current trends in global private pension systems and the ways in which pension regulatory and supervisory authorities are managing and reacting to those trends.