CEO · World Data Lab
Wolfgang Fengler is the CEO and co-founder of World Data Lab. Previously, he served as the World Bank's Lead Economist in Finance, Competitiveness and Innovation for Eastern Europe and Central Asia, and as the World Bank's Lead Economist in the Nairobi office. A native German, Wolfgang was a staff member of the World Bank for 23 years, during which he lived on four continents.
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On the blog
November 2025
Timing is the new competitive advantage: how global time zones shape when and where consumer spending happens. By Wolfgang Fengler and Yara Antoniassi.
September 2025
Gen Xers often act as the household CFO, making key spending decisions across generations. By Wolfgang Fengler and Marta Cyhan Bowles (NIQ).
May 2024
Prosperity is less prevalent than many assume, but the number of people living well, above $25 a day, keeps rising. By Wolfgang Fengler and Homi Kharas.
December 2023
The average person now accounts for 7.4 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions, and the per-capita peak may already be behind us. By Homi Kharas and Wolfgang Fengler.
July 2023
The world reached 4 billion consumers in June 2023, with Asia contributing most of the next billion. By Wolfgang Fengler, Homi Kharas, Juan Caballero, and Luis Simoes.
June 2022
Asia's share of the global consumer class passed the halfway mark, with South Asia driving the next decade of growth. By Wolfgang Fengler, Homi Kharas, and Juan Caballero.
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