Working hours are a fundamental determinant of economic growth and wellbeing, but we still lack a comprehensive picture of how they vary globally and historically. This column presents a new database covering 160 countries, documenting global patterns in hours worked. Hours per adult average 25 per week, with a strong bell shape by age. Women […]
As disasters grow more frequent and severe, the need for fast, reliable information in the immediate aftermath has never been greater. Governments, development partners and humanitarian agencies need to quickly understand the scale and nature of the impact so they can take informed action, mobilize resources and support recovery. Yet, traditional damage assessments can take […]
Migration to Germany is shaping the Western Balkans for better and worse, highlighting the need for reforms to harness benefits and mitigate drawbacks. Migration has long shaped the demographic and economic realities of the Western Balkans, with Germany emerging as the primary destination for emigration. Since the 1990s, persistent emigration, combined with negative natural population […]
Social status can have a long-lasting influence on people’s health and longevity. This column explores the lifespan of royals – whose status is determined by hereditary rules – between 1669 and 2022. While royals still live longer than their average subject, the gap has shrunk significantly since the 19th century. Even today, monarchs consistently outlive […]
The project aims to boost Iraq’s oil, gas and power production, reduce imports from neighbouring Iran and lure back foreign investors. French oil major TotalEnergies has launched the second development phase at Iraq’s Ratawi oilfield and has begun building an accompanying seawater treatment plant, it said on Monday, the final stages of a $27 billion […]
If economic activity is considered the primary driver of climate change through emissions of carbon dioxide, then supporting economic growth and fighting emissions would appear to be at odds. However, the process of economic development may itself foster complementarity between GDP growth and emissions reductions. Such complementary in the relationship between economic development and emissions […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Businesses use checklists to exercise managerial control and ensure quality, but excessive bureaucracy can frustrate skilled workers and reduce morale. This column presents a randomised control trial in a German bakery chain that removed two time-consuming, non-essential checklists in selected stores. After abolishing the checklists, sales rose by 2.7%, customer ratings improved, and qualified workers […]
