The Danes, the Dutch, the Swedes and the feasibility of walking away from pay-as-you-go pensions
Prefunded pensions in Denmark, the Netherlands and Sweden pair income security with fiscal sustainability, but other EU countries need a faster route. This paper examines
Cultural norms matter for macroeconomic development
Interest in the role of cultural norms, institutions, and development has resurfaced in recent years especially post the 2024 Nobel Prize in Economics. This column
Women entrepreneurs could benefit from better targeting, without changing the program content
Every year, governments and development organizations spend billions on business upgrading programs — training, mentorship, consulting — designed to help small firms grow. These programs
Venture capital – a global perspective
Existing views on what venture capital finances and how its markets are structured are primarily shaped by the experience of the US and a few
Opening the black box: What we now know about credit and poverty
For decades, one question has dominated debates about finance and poverty reduction: does access to credit reduce poverty? The idea that loans can help households
Global imbalances and the China challenge
China’s trade surplus is widening, its manufactured exports are surging, and the political backlash is intensifying. This column argues that the widening trade surplus reflects
Better work, not always better workers
Professional judgement comes from learning by doing, but AI has the potential to disrupt this learning process. This column explores how randomised access to an
How data centres affect electricity prices and for whom
Increases in US electricity prices since 2020 have coincided with a sharp rise in demand from data centres. This column analyses the impact of the
Anatomy of a rise: Monetary policy and the post-Covid surge in long-term interest rates
The sharp rise in long-term interest rates since 2020 is difficult to explain from slow-moving fundamentals. This column shows that narrow windows around nonfarm payroll
Qatar Investment Authority invests in Positron AI’s Series C financing
The new financing will support the development and commercialization of Positron’s next-generation technology. Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) today announced its participation in Positron AI’s USD
