Global action without global governance: A four-pillar strategy for climate and nature
Advanced economies alone can no longer determine climate outcomes. Emerging and developing economies – home to two-thirds of current emissions and most of the world’s
Understanding country income: World Bank Group income classifications for FY26 (July 1, 2025–June, 2026)
Every year, the World Bank Group classifies the world’s economies into four income groups: low, lower-middle, upper-middle, and high. These classifications, updated each year on July
How accurately can we estimate the hidden costs of what we eat?
The world is seriously off track to meet global nutrition targets. In fact, in some countries, statistics are moving in the wrong direction. Stunting remains
A new modelling approach for evaluating the Trump tariffs
There is currently much discussion about President Trump’s tariffs, the US trade deficit, and its causes and impacts, but little in the way of economic
Rethinking exchange rate flexibility in the post-Bretton Woods era: Evidence from a new index
The collapse of the Bretton Woods system has traditionally been cited as heralding a major shift towards floating exchange rates. The extent of this transition
Think global, act local: South Asia’s moment to transform food loss into opportunity
In a region where millions still face hunger and malnutrition, it is concerning that South Asia also loses a significant share of its food before
Quantifying global debt risks amid high and rising public debt
As global debt continues to climb, evaluating debt risks is critical. This column introduces a novel ‘debt-at-risk’ framework that uses information on current macro-financial and
Ten challenges facing China’s economy
Depending on how it is measured, China’s economy is now the world’s largest or second largest. It is also the world’s second-most intertwined in terms
Unlocking finance for creative industries
Creative industries, such as film, music, fashion design and advertising are a growing important source of economic activity globally, generating around $2 trillion of revenues
Three barriers to municipal finance—and how to overcome them to create jobs and growth
Cities in low- and middle-income countries are growing fast—but their ability to finance the infrastructure and services needed to support people and jobs is lagging behind. The
