Almost one-third of the worlds population has embarked on a transition from planned to market economies. Like economic reforms elsewhere, the long-term goal of this transition is to build a thriving market economy capable of delivering long-term growth in living standards. This edition takes an in-depth look at these transition countries, focusing on the key lessons that have taken place thus far within the 28 countries. The report looks at how these countries have tackled the challenge of transition from different starting points and political conditions, and also focuses on the additional challenges these transition countries face.