The value added of central bank digital currencies: a view from the euro area
1 Introduction Central bank digital currencies (CBDCs), a digital equivalent of cash, are increasingly gaining traction. At least 114 jurisdictions, representing 95 percent of global
In Botswana, an inclusive reform process is needed to advance women’s economic participation
The transformational Vision 2036 Achieving Prosperity for All defines Botswana’s aspirations to chart its way from a middle-income to a high-income economy. Promoting gender equality and granting
The intersection of economic conditions, trauma and mental health in the West Bank and Gaza
Years of ongoing exposure to conflict have exacted a toll on the mental health of Palestinians. This includes decades of exposure to conflict, restrictions on
Firms’ use of artificial intelligence: Cross-country evidence on business characteristics, asset complementarities, and productivity
Artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming economies and societies, but research on how it is being adopted across firms is still in its early stages, especially
The giant missing piece in the EU’s capital market puzzle
In the spirit of unity, let me start with a statement we can all agree on: the EU needs to grow its capital markets. That
We can’t have a world without poverty in a world with plastic pollution
When future generations share the story of plastic pollution, it will include graphic images of turtles choking on plastic debris, zooming out to show beaches
Opening the black box of digital wallets and demystifying ‘buy now, pay later’
The growth of digital wallets and popular ‘buy now, pay later’ options raises concerns about social welfare and policy. This column uses data from a
Electoral earthquakes: Local shocks and authoritarian voting
While a growing literature has highlighted the role of economic grievances, global transformations, cultural cleavages, and isolation in engendering political discontent, the nexus with local
Fostering a sustainable digital transformation
Automation and digitalisation are progressing rapidly worldwide, auguring improved productivity and living standards but also the prospect of genuine social harm. This column discusses two
European natural gas demand tracker
High and volatile European energy prices are being driven by extraordinarily tight supply-demand balances in energy markets, particularly for natural gas. The primary solution is
