According to the World Bank, one-third of the global population, roughly 2.6 billion people, live in “digital darkness,” meaning they lack access to the internet. Even European Union countries are facing a stark reality, as nearly half of all adults struggle to navigate the digital landscape. At the same time, job markets are evolving at breakneck speed—demanding advanced skills in […]
Annual inflation has plunged from a record high of 38% in September 2023. Egypt’s annual urban consumer price inflation slowed to 11.7% in September from 12% in August, data from statistics agency CAPMAS showed on Wednesday, a deceleration less than what analysts in a Reuters poll had anticipated. The median forecast was for an easing […]
By the end of August, the value of the reserves reached $8.26bln, compared with $6.26bln at the end of December 2024. The Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates (CBUAE) has seen its gold reserves rise by around 32 percent during the first eight months of 2025, surpassing AED30 billion for the first time. By […]
IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said the U.S. economy had dodged a recession feared by many experts just six months ago. The world economy has proven more resilient than expected despite acute strains from multiple shocks, the head of the International Monetary Fund said on Wednesday, forecasting only a slight slowing of global growth this […]
WTO economists raised the 2025 merchandise trade growth forecast to 2.4%. Global merchandise trade outpaced expectations in the first half of 2025, driven by increased spending on AI-related products, a surge in North American imports ahead of tariff hikes, and strong trade among the rest of the world. In response, WTO economists raised the 2025 […]
As populations age, noncommunicable diseases and mental health conditions are draining South American economies, reducing labour supply and diverting resources from investment. This column presents a macroeconomic model for ten South American countries to examine the effects of noncommunicable diseases and mental health conditions on healthcare costs and human capital. The findings suggest that from […]
Surveys with information provision experiments have become popular in economics. This column introduces an information provision experiment in a model of rational inattention – where information requires paying attention, which is costly – to study the implications of experimental findings for behaviour outside the survey. It highlights that the balance of two counteracting effects, attention-in-daily-life […]
The low-carbon transition requires substantial financial mobilisation, yet it is unclear whether banks’ public climate commitments represent real change or simply greenwashing. This column uses unique survey data from 335 banks across 33 emerging markets to examine their internal green practices and lending approaches. The authors find that climate-committed banks score substantially higher on green […]
Closing the productivity gap between the US and Europe will require large investments in intangible capital and new technologies. Using 1995-2021 data from the 2025 EUKLEMS/INTANProd release, this column highlights significant differences in intangible capital investment between France and Germany. Investment in software appears to be three times higher in France than in Germany, while […]
The EU faces ageing-driven fiscal strain, slower growth and rising pension costs, making employment-focused migration increasingly vital. The European Union population is ageing increasingly rapidly, with dependency ratios and shares of the elderly in the total population rising across the continent. While aggregate projected increases in age-related public spending in the EU are manageable, there are substantial differences […]
