Economic historians have long debated whether lagging regions can catch up in productivity with industrial leaders. This column shows that, under the right conditions, such catch-up can be remarkably rapid. Using newly digitised US Census of Manufactures data covering 48 states and over 120 industries from 1880 to 2007, it finds strong unconditional convergence in […]
That selfie you took on an idyllic white sand beach, in a sprawling city park, or atop a mountain range at sunset? It’s more than just a photo of you. It reflects nature’s magnetic pull on people across the world and its role in fueling global tourism. Tourism is a vital driver of economic growth, […]
Food insecurity remains a critical issue affecting millions of people across the Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan, and Pakistan (MENAAP). The region faces a wide range of food security challenges—from acute conflict-related humanitarian crises in some areas to affordability concerns in others, and from high levels of economic prosperity to accompanying nutritional deficits. The food […]
Hotter-than-usual years can slow or derail advances in women’s legal rights. A new analysis spanning five decades finds that temperature anomalies—years significantly hotter than a country’s historical norm—are associated with slower gains in legal equality for women, especially in low-income settings. The logic is simple but consequential: extreme-weather events tend to strain budgets and institutions, prompting governments […]
Over the last decade, Europe has suffered from the decay of the post-war international order, economic coercion from both China and the United States, and aggression from Russia. This contribution puts these changes into a historical context, examines their short-term consequences, develops scenarios for 2030-2035 and uses these to draw out the policy implications for […]
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 […]
Where do jobs come from, and how can we learn more about firms that create them? Governments need to know which firms create employment, how shocks are passed on along supply chains, and how the benefits of trade reach workers. Tracking such information in a comprehensive manner and over an extended period can be challenging. […]
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 […]
Artificial intelligence tools can now produce highly realistic text, images, and videos at almost no cost, prompting concerns that the proliferation of fabricated content may mean mainstream news outlets lose both the trust and demand of their audience. This column reports the results of a field experiment in partnership with one of Germany’s most respected […]
Household saving and labour supply are shaped by many risks – wages, marriage, health, longevity – as well as bequest motives. This column develops a model that tracks individuals from age 26 through to retirement and death to show how these risks interact to drive economic behaviour. The findings highlight that incorporating risk, and how […]
