A world with no safe assets
Recent evolutions in US attitudes and policies have raised questions about the future of the dollar’s role in the global economy. This column explores a
Sovereign bonds, convenience yields, and the resurgence of supply shocks
Many sovereign bonds trade at a premium for being safe assets that retain their value even in deep recessions. This premium, or ‘convenience yield’, allows
Artificial intelligence in finance
Artificial intelligence is rapidly reshaping the financial sector. This column introduces the seventh report in The Future of Banking series, which examines the fundamental transformations
Transatlantic clean investment monitor 4: electric vehicles
Electric vehicles (EVs) have grown from a niche technology to a mainstream industry in the space of a little over a decade. EV deployment is
Industrial policy lessons from East Germany’s privatisation
There has been renewed interest in industrial policy as a tool to reshape the structure of economic activity, but little evidence exists on the successful
Anatomy of the Phillips curve
The Phillips curve describes the relationship between inflation and real economic activity over the business cycle. This column challenges the notion that the Phillips curve
What will it cost to build the cities of the future?
Cities are engines of economic growth and job creation, and their future pathways will shape global development outcomes for decades to come. But the success
Shifting gears: how the private sector can be an engine of growth in MENA
The global economy is facing heightened uncertainty, clouding economic forecasts. In our recently launched April 2025 Middle East and North Africa Economic Update , we report that
Why going “all in” on active mobility is a sure bet for sustainable development
Every year on United Nations World Bicycle Day (June 3), we celebrate the transformative benefits of the bicycle. At the World Bank Group headquarters in Washington, DC,
Implementing the EU Nature Restoration Law: exploring pathways for member states
The European Union Nature Restoration Law (NRL) entered into force in 2024. The NRL sets quantitative restoration targets aimed at improving natural habitats that are
