As we enter the third calendar year of COVID-19, the world continues to grapple with the social and economic havoc that the pandemic has wrought on communities and individuals around the world. Our most vulnerable populations continue to be the most at risk of dire negative outcomes, and the need for targeted social services continues to rise. At Brookings this past year, we have been researching the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, collaborating with other stakeholders around the world, and more broadly exploring the importance of data for achieving outcomes.

We also continue to follow the global impact bonds market, which feeds into the Brookings Global Impact Bonds Database, and produce research outputs, such as our key series on measuring the success of impact bonds. Below we share our research from this year and the trends we have observed in the market.

As of January 1, 2022, there are 221 social and development impact bonds in 37 countries around the world, including 21 in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The leading sectors globally continue to be social welfare (75) and employment (68), while in LMICs employment (8) and health (6) lead the way.

Read the full article about trends on global impact bonds market by Emily Gustafsson-Wright and Sarah Osborne at Brookings.