The world economy is a complex, dynamic, constantly changing system. On the basis of extensive statistical material, research and official publications of international organizations, the main features of the world economy, its mechanism and functioning are revealed. The state of world markets (labor, capital, food, mineral resources), economic growth and its quality, the main issues of social status in the world are analyzed. The positions of the main subsystems of the world economy, their characteristics, the position of individual countries are considered.