Knowledge, especially practical, hands-on know-how, is essential for countries to tackle development challenges and to build resilience to disasters and shocks. One of the most effective ways to share this “how-to” knowledge is through peer-to-peer exchanges among policy makers and practitioners. The challenge: Closing the disaster insurance gap When natural disasters strike, many people and […]
Low- and middle- income countries (LMICs) have rebounded strongly since the COVID-19 pandemic. Gross national income (GNI) among these countries was resilient in 2023, at $36 trillion — and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) projects that economic growth of developing economies will hold steady at about 4 percent over the next two years. Yet LMICs face […]
When it comes to improving economic outcomes for women and women’s empowerment, effective action requires reliable data. Yet, data capturing the full scope of women’s lives is often scarce, making it hard to identify what holds women—and entire economies and societies—back. Without solid evidence, the path to women enjoying the same opportunities as men is […]
During the past 20 years, the world economy has suffered two major crises in the form of the Global Financial Crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic. This column identifies the turning points of recessions and expansions in 101 advanced and developing economies between 1990 and 2022 and analyses the drivers of economic recovery. Across the sample, […]
The role of non-bank financial intermediaries in funding markets and financial crises has increased in recent decades. This column examines the rise of the sector and the roles these intermediaries play in liquidity shock transmission. The growth of the non-bank financial intermediation sector can be attributed to technological changes, demographic shifts, and tighter regulation of […]
What makes a country a great place to start and grow a business? Among low-income economies across the world, only 29% have a single centralized website dedicated to providing regulatory information pertaining to international trade. In high-income economies, the same number stands at 67% . The World Bank’s new Business Ready (B-READY) project shines a light on this […]
By some criteria, the post-pandemic disinflation was a triumph for central banks in advanced economies: inflation fell sharply from 40-year highs while unemployment rates remained low, the combination of which generated historically low sacrifice ratios (output losses per inflation reduction). These standard metrics for success, however, ignore adjustments in the price level, which rose by […]
As global trade expands, so does the number of workers in high-income countries whose jobs are tied to exports. More of that growth is generated by exports to low-and middle-income countries than to other high-income countries. Employment generated by exports of goods and services to low and middle-income countries, either directly or indirectly, more than doubled […]
As global trade expands, so does the number of workers in high-income countries whose jobs are tied to exports. More of that growth is generated by exports to low-and middle-income countries than to other high-income countries. Employment generated by exports of goods and services to low and middle-income countries, either directly or indirectly, more than doubled […]
State aid regulation is crucial to ensuring competitiveness in the EU Single Market, but enforcement remains challenging. Non-compliance by member states and foreign subsidies are ongoing concerns; however, detection is difficult. This column proposes an approach to identify suspect cases of hidden state aid recipients using machine learning algorithms. The predictions allow regulators to substantially […]
