At the time this Report is being released, the world economy continues to emerge slowly from the most serious economic crisis of the post–World War II period—one that has deeply transformed the global economy and highlighted the increasingly important role that emerging markets and developing economies play in the global economy. As advanced economies are searching for ways to speed up their economic engines, emerging and developing countries have been important drivers of the global economic recovery.
As a result, the nature of the relationship between advanced economies and emerging ones has evolved, and emerging and developing countries have created stronger ties among themselves. Among the advanced economies, two patterns seem to emerge: the United States, Canada, and Japan are expected to grow at a gentle pace, while the prospects for the euro zone are more uncertain, especially as tight credit conditions continue to limit domestic demand. More generally, the new global economic landscape raises questions as to the very distinction between advanced and emerging economies, particularly when it comes to growth and competitiveness.

The World Economic Forum 2013-2014