Making markets work: The role of effective public institutions in enabling private sector growth and development Arturo Herrera GutierrezRita RamalhoTanu Kumar September 22, 2026 This page in: English

Making markets work: The role of effective public institutions in enabling private sector growth and development Arturo Herrera GutierrezRita RamalhoTanu Kumar September 22, 2026 This page in: English https://blogs.worldbank.org/en/voices/making-markets-work--the-role-of-effective-public-institutions-i Of the roughly 3.74 billion people in the global workforce, about 400 million, or 11 percent, work in the public sector. These are the people who deliver essential services, from running hospitals and teaching children, to building bridges. They are also the ones who make purchases on the public’s behalf such as MRI machines, construction services, and laptops for students. For example, in OECD countries public procurement spending as a share of GDP averaged 12.7%. And the public sector workers are the ones who shape how industries operate by setting quality and safety standards, establishing competition frameworks, and protecting consumers.