The Commission on Growth and Development (informally known as the Growth Commission) was an independent body set up by the World Bank chaired by American economist Michael Spence that brought together 22 policymakers, academics, and business leaders to examine various aspects of economic growth and development.
Launched in 2006, the commission set out to take stock of the state of theoretical and empirical knowledge on economic growth with a view to drawing implications for policy for the current and future policymakers. Its work culminated in two publications – The Growth Report: Strategies for Sustained Growth and Inclusive Development in May 2008 and Post-Crisis Growth in Developing Countries: A Special Report of the Commission on Growth and Development on the Implications of the 2008 Financial Crisis in October 2009.
Five thematic volumes and nearly 70 working papers were also published by the Commission.
The commission’s work was sponsored by the governments of Australia, The Netherlands, Sweden and the United Kingdom, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, and the World Bank Group.
The group's activities formally ended in June 2010, succeeded by the non-profit think tank The Growth Dialogue.