How data and evidence can make anticorruption reforms more inclusive
In Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), one in five people report experiencing or knowing of sextortion — the exchange of sex, rather than money,
Commodity wealth demands a fiscal balancing act
Commodity booms are easy to celebrate but hard to manage. For resource-rich economies, commodity windfalls—if managed well—can finance investment, strengthen public finances and lift growth
Quantifying the China discourse
Policy narratives in the US on China have undergone a dramatic transformation in recent years. This column draws on various kinds of public records and
The exorbitant privilege of the periodic table
Trade in critical metals essential for electrification has become centred on China over the last three decades. This column introduces a new framework in which
An autopsy of the voluntary carbon market
The voluntary carbon market was built on a single promise: that one credit cancels one tonne. Most scrutiny has asked whether that promise holds on
Macroprudential policy may curb innovation – but instrument choice matters
Macroprudential policy is designed to make the financial system safer, but it can also reshape the finance available to innovative firms. Using patent data matched
Revisiting immigration’s effect on US wages and employment
Anti-immigration policies often rest on the premise that immigrants worsen native-born employment and wages. This column uses data from 2000 to 2023 to estimate the
Japan’s productivity transformation: From within-firm stagnation to market-driven reallocation
Discussions on Japan’s ‘lost decades’ have long focused on sluggish demand and the survival of ‘zombie’ firms. However, new evidence from microdata suggests a fundamental
The scramble for critical minerals: An old curse in a new world
Lithium, cobalt, nickel, copper, and rare earth elements are reshaping global trade and great-power politics in ways reminiscent of the earlier scramble for natural resources.
AI feedback loops and the conditions for explosive growth
If frontier AI models can be used to develop their next models, this may lead to an ‘intelligence explosion’ and give a large boost to
