The last decade has seen dramatic changes in the economic position of developing countries. A minority of middle-income countries, especially in Asia, have fared relatively well. This has led some economists and policy makers to argue that other developing countries need to adopt the same policies of export led growth. However the results of this have been disappointing and many of the world's poorest countries have seen their positions decline in both relative and absolute terms. This series presents accounts of the present position of, and future prospects for, the developing countries.