Worldwide, air pollution is an “equal opportunity offender” impacting high-, middle-, and low-income countries. While low- and lower-middle-income countries bear the brunt of air pollution, middle- and upper-middle-income countries in Europe and Central Asia are also significantly affected. With growing urbanization, they face increasing public health impacts caused by dirty air. Across the region, in cities […]
Fragility is no longer the exception. It is the new development realityFragility, conflict, and violence (FCV) are not abstract to us. They are lived realities. Today, nearly half of the world’s extremely poor live in FCV settings, and that number is rising. We have felt the impact of fragility firsthand. We have seen how it […]
Droughts, floods, storms, and heatwaves are no longer isolated events—they are reshaping how people live, work, and thrive. Beyond damaged roads or lost harvests, disasters leave scars on health, education, and livelihoods that can last for years. Until now, bringing together climate and human capital data to measure these impacts has been complex and fragmented. […]
Governments and development institutions spend billions to help small businesses access financing, hoping this will create jobs and support inclusive economic growth. But we don’t really know if these programs reach the firms that need help most and help them grow. In a recent paper, we evaluate a loan program in Ecuador implemented by the state […]
To many, the US dollar depreciation following the ‘Liberation Day’ tariff announcement on 2 April 2025 defied conventional wisdom. However, open-macro models predict that the impact of tariffs on exchange rates depends on how trade partners respond. Accounting for retaliatory threats, this column explores the effects of tariffs on the US dollar by revisiting the […]
One of the remarkable things about many field experiments done by development economists is the low attrition rates that have been achieved in many surveys. In an era of increasing suspicion about scams, and distrust in strangers, the fact that people are willing to repeatedly answer often lengthy questionnaires is amazing. It can take a […]
Europe’s banks have long been slow to integrate across borders, but this is changing fast. ‘Pan-European banks’, with activities spanning several EU countries, are emerging rapidly and are likely to enhance the overall contribution of financial services to economic growth. However, financial stability arrangements, notably banking supervision, remain nationally anchored. This creates significant risks in […]
While economists have extensively studied gender norms affecting women, masculinity norms – the informal rules that guide and constrain the behaviours of boys and men – remain underexplored. This column reviews how such norms can shape economic outcomes in labour markets, health, education, households, and politics. Drawing on new survey data from 87,000 individuals across […]
Most children in low-and middle-income countries lack foundational skills. An estimated 70% of 10-year-olds are unable to read and understand a simple story, despite increased access to school. Tackling this learning crisis requires more than pilot programs – it demands systemic solutions that can be delivered at scale. Education systems struggle to deliver big results despite […]
Many communities in the US, especially those in rural areas, have limited access to healthcare. For example, some areas have significantly fewer doctors per capita than others, which might contribute to geographic inequities in health outcomes. This column discusses new research that shows how government designations of Primary Care Health Professional Shortage Areas – and […]
