The recent progress in the measurement and understanding of the X-ray background is reviewd here. Particular emphasis is put on a discussion of the partially discrepant measurement of the X-ray background spectrum in the 0.5-3 keV range. New and important constraints on large scale structure are obtained from measurements of the smoothness of the XRB. Recently the first discovery of a signal in the angular correlation function of the XRB could be announced. Finally, various X-ray surveys and their identification content is summarized. The role of optically inactive galaxies as a major contributor to the faint X-ray source population which might produce a substantial fraction of the XRB is clarified.