This article reviews the current state of knowledge on the determinants of saving rates,
presenting the main findings and contributions of the recently completed World Bank
research project, “Saving Across the World.” The article discusses the basic design of
the research project and its core database, the World Saving Database. It then summarizes
the main project results and places them in the context of the literature on saving,
identifying the key policy and nonpolicy determinants of private saving rates. Special
attention is paid to the relationship between growth and saving and the impact of specific
policies on saving rates. The article concludes by introducing the studies included in
this special issue.