Who moves up and why? A closer look at the new release of the World Bank Group Country Income Classifications Eric MetreauKathryn Elizabeth YoungShwetha Grace Eapen July 01, 2026 This page in: English 中文

https://blogs.worldbank.org/en/opendata/who-moves-up-and-why--a-closer-look-at-the-new-world-bank-group- Since 1987, the global income classification landscape has changed significantly, with the share of economies classified as low-income declining from 30% to 11%. These shifts have not been evenly distributed, however, with some countries moving across income groups much faster than others. This year’s update to the World Bank Group Country Income Classifications shows six countries moved to a higher income category, but each has a different story to tell: a country emerging from economic crisis, an export powerhouse outpacing its peers, and an economy that turned out to be 10% larger than previously thought are just three of them. On July 1 of each year, the Development Data Group — the World Bank Group’s development data hub — updates the classifications according to gross national income (GNI) per capita estimates from the previous calendar year, placing the economies assessed into four income groups: low, lower-middle, upper-middle, and high. This year's edition covers 218 countries, and the results will serve as a global reference until the end of June 2027.