Three trends that could unlock a golden decade for developing economies
Barring a miracle, the 2020s will prove to be what their ominous opening foreshadowed: a lost decade—not just for a couple of outliers, but for
Why reforms for state-owned enterprises (SOEs) remain critically important for growth, jobs, and development
State-owned enterprises (SOEs) are involved in almost every facet of life across developing countries – from electricity, water, transport to ports, airlines, and banking. Some
Metal prices surge as supply pressures intensify
Metal prices are surging again. The World Bank Group’s metals and minerals price index has jumped by about 20 percent since the start of the
AI readiness is a policy choice: evidence from 24 overperforming countries
Rwanda has one of the lowest per capita incomes in the world. It also has a dedicated Responsible AI Office, privacy protection laws aligned with
Fighting misinformation with truth: Why mainstream news matters on social media
How can misinformation on social media be countered in the age of AI-generated content? This column uses an experiment conducted during the 2024 US presidential
Between values and interests: drivers of EU aid
EU aid is still more poverty-focused than peers, but external policy drivers are growing and reshaping development cooperation after Global Gateway. This paper examines whether
How do trade restrictiveness and trade policy uncertainty affect FDI? An empirical investigation
Rising trade barriers and uncertainty are choking FDI inflows, hitting low and middle-income investors hardest in a fragmented global economy. In the context of rising
One global shock, many inflation paths: Inflation persistence after the Great Moderation
The post-COVID inflation surge was global, but inflation persistence was not. This column argues that the key difference lies in how strongly external shocks fed
Why some digital payment systems replace cash and others don’t
Digital payment systems promise to extend financial services to people underserved by banks, and overcoming barriers to the adoption of such systems is thus central
Making sense of conflicting labour market signals
Can policymakers rely on traditional labour market indicators when unemployment, vacancies, wages, and payroll growth appear to send conflicting signals? This column presents a new
