When statistics lie: Using satellite data to track Russia’s wartime economy
Official Russian statistics report a mild recession in 2022 following the full-scale of Ukraine but suggest that Russia has since fully recovered. This column argues
Nine centuries of cultural change and the productivity of ideas
Economic historians have long placed culture at the centre of the rise of the West, but have lacked a measure of culture spanning the emergence
How data and evidence can make anticorruption reforms more inclusive
In Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), one in five people report experiencing or knowing of sextortion — the exchange of sex, rather than money,
Carbon risk in loan pricing: Commitment channels and real effects
Transition risks related to climate change are increasingly recognised in equity and bond markets. This column uses syndicated loan tranches issued to US firms to
Baby busts and GDP booms: Demographic change and the macroeconomy
Globally declining birth rates have, over the last seven decades, slowed population growth and raised average ages. This column argues that despite widespread economic pessimism,
What four charts reveal about the global jobs challenge
A record number of young people are approaching working age in emerging markets and developing economies (EMDEs), creating a historic global jobs challenge. Generating sufficient job
Dividend tax reforms: Why design shapes revenue and measured inequality
Governments increasingly look to capital income for both revenue and redistribution. This column compares two dividend tax reforms in Israel – a permanent rate increase
Why Europe’s banks stay home: Regulatory fragmentation and the cost of an incomplete banking union
Despite major institutional reforms, the European Banking Union remains incomplete. Banking markets remain fragmented along national lines, which constrains Europe’s growth potential. This column uses
The impact of global sanctions on cross-border mergers and acquisitions
The use of sanctions has grown steadily over the past seven decades, with well-documented effects on bilateral trade. This column analyses the effects of sanctions
The price of delay: How supply chain disruptions spread into consumer prices
Supply chain disruptions have become a recurring feature of recent economic dynamics and an increasing concern in inflation policy discussions. This column argues that inflationary
