Episode 20 The Power of Standards: Why a Metal Box, a Checklist, and a Plug Socket Can Change an Economy

📦 A metal box boosted trade by 1,240%. 🩺 A simple checklist cut surgical deaths by 47%. 🔌 A plug that fits a socket keeps economies running. This episode unpacks the World Development Report 2025’s idea of standards as the “invisible infrastructure” behind growth, trust, and public goods. From global trade and FDI to healthcare, education, air quality, and AI, we explore how getting the rules right—and making them work in practice—can transform development outcomes worldwide. Generated with AI using wondercraft.ai and guided by our experts. Read the full report here at https://www.worldbank.org/en/publication/wdr2025