| 5G | Fifth generation of cellular mobile communications |
| ADB | Asian Development Bank |
| AfDB | African Development Bank |
| AI | Artificial intelligence |
| AIDS | Acquired immune deficiency syndrome |
| AIIB | Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank |
| AU | African Union |
| BEPS | Base Erosion and Profit Shifting |
| BLI | Better Life Index |
| BRI | Belt and Road Initiative |
| BRICS | Brazil, Russian Federation, India, China, South Africa |
| BRIICS | Brazil, Russian Federation, India, Indonesia, China, South Africa |
| CDP | Committee for Development Policy |
| CGD | Center for Global Development |
| CO2 | Carbon dioxide |
| CO2e | Carbon dioxide equivalent |
| DAC | Development Assistance Committee |
| DAG | Development Assistance Group |
| ECLA | Economic Commission for Latin America |
| ECLAC | Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean |
| ESCAP | Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific |
| EU | European Union |
| EVI | Economic Vulnerability Index |
| FAO | Food and Agriculture Organization |
| FDI | Foreign direct investment |
| FSU | Former Soviet Union |
| G7 | Group of Seven |
| GATT | General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade |
| GCC | Gulf Cooperation Council |
| GDP | Gross domestic product |
| GFC | Global financial crisis |
| GHG | Greenhouse gas |
| GNI | Gross national income |
| GNP | Gross national product |
| Gt | Gigatonne |
| GVCs | Global value chains |
| HDI | Human Development Index |
| HDR | Human Development Report |
| HIPC | Heavily indebted poor countries |
| HIV | Human immunodeficiency virus |
| IADB | Inter-American Development Bank |
| IBRD | International Bank for Reconstruction and Development |
| ICT | Information and communication technologies |
| IDA | International Development Association |
| IDS | International Development Statistics |
| ILO | International Labour Organization |
| IMF | International Monetary Fund |
| IoT | Internet of Things |
| IPoA | Istanbul Programme of Action |
| IT | Information technology |
| LDC | Least developed country |
| LLDCs | Landlocked developing countries |
| M&A | Mergers and acquisitions |
| MDC | More developed country |
| MDGs | Millennium Development Goals |
| MNCs | Multinational companies |
| NAEC | New Approaches to Economic Challenges |
| NDB | New Development Bank |
| NEDS | National economic development strategies |
| NGOs | Non-governmental organisations |
| OAU | Organisation of African Unity |
| ODA | Official Development Assistance |
| OECD | Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development |
| OEEC | Organisation for European Economic Co-operation |
| PD | Participatory development |
| PDIA | Problem driven iterative adaptation |
| PGD | Perspectives on Global Development |
| PPI | Producer Price Index |
| PPP | Purchasing power parity |
| PVCCI | Physical Vulnerability to Climate Change Index |
| R&D | Research and development |
| RMB | Renminbi |
| SAPs | Structural adjustment programmes |
| SDGs | Sustainable Development Goals |
| SEZs | Special Economic Zones |
| SIDS | Small Island Developing States |
| SME | Small and medium-sized enterprise |
| SO2 | Sulphur dioxide |
| SOE | State-owned enterprise |
| TB | Tuberculosis |
| UN | United Nations |
| UNCTAD | United Nations Conference on Trade and Development |
| UNDP | United Nations Development Programme |
| UNECA | United Nations Economic Commission for Africa |
| UNEP | United Nations Environment Programme |
| UNESCO | United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization |
| UNICEF | United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund |
| UNIDO | United Nations Industrial Development Organization |
| US | United States |
| USD | United States dollar |
| WDR | World Development Report |
| WEF | World Economic Forum |
| WHO | World Health Organization |
| WPC | World Poverty Clock |
| WTO | World Trade Organization |
Perspectives on Global Development 2019
Rethinking Development Strategies