The narrowing path: Trade and development in a new era
For decades, international trade has been a powerful engine of development. Countries like South Korea and China achieved remarkable transformations – moving from low-income agricultural
Brexit’s slow‑burn hit to the UK economy
The UK is once again debating why its economy has grown slowly since the mid‑2010s. This column examines the impact of the decision to leave
The overlooked power of communities in poverty measurement
As with the informal economy, the lack of data on social capital in developing nations has contributed to its exclusion from poverty models. However, if poverty
Efficiency and distribution in the European Union’s digital deregulation push
A new framework shows how EU digital reforms must balance efficiency with transparent recognition of distributive consequences. To boost the European Union’s digital economy, the European
Continued growth despite a challenging environment: The Commission’s Autumn 2025 Forecast
The EU economy grew stronger than expected in recent quarters and all member states are set to return to growth in 2025. Modest but steady
When loss strikes twice: Health shocks and household financial distress
While many advanced economies shield their citizens from the most severe direct medical costs of illness, less is known about how households cope with income
Supply shocks and inflation: Timely insights from financial markets
Determining the drivers of inflation in real time is a central challenge for central banks. This column introduces a new financial markets-based model to identify
The hidden costs of China’s industrial policy
China uses a wide array of industrial policies, such as subsidies and regulations, to promote strategic economic sectors. This column estimates that the equivalent fiscal
Supply chains and free trade agreements
Studies examining the effects of free trade agreements on the activities of multinational enterprises have tended to focus on trade between home countries and their
Why export controls accelerate innovation: Evidence from the 2007 US ‘China Rule’
A key debate surrounding export controls is whether they accelerate innovation in targeted rivals. This column studies this question using a set of US export
