How large current account imbalances unwind: Evidence from historical adjustment episodes
Global imbalances are back in the policy debate. This column examines 70 current account adjustment episodes across 51 economies from 1980 to 2024 to discover
Asian investors eye firms benefiting from but resilient to AI
Asian investors struck a cautious tone on artificial intelligence as they increasingly wager on businesses that can withstand the AI-led disruption and look for firms
Small AI, big bets: How the world’s most impactful AI startups will be built in emerging markets
Walk into a hospital in Nigeria, where one doctor serves every 9,000 patients–fifteen times the WHO-recommended ratio. Every minute that a doctor spends on administrative
Cutting the cost of sending money home: Fast payment systems, digital access, and the future of remittances
Every month, millions of migrant workers send a portion of their earnings home to support their families — often providing the most reliable source of
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
A generational challenge: Turning a record youth surge into a jobs dividend
Between 2025 and 2035, the largest-ever cohort of young people in emerging market and developing economies will reach working age. Slowing growth, overlapping crises, tight
From Strategic Investment to Tangible Results: Notable examples from the Human Capital Trust Fund
Two-thirds of the income gap between developed and developing countries can be attributed to disparities in human capital. Yet, budgets for critical human capital investments are
Precious metals retreat from record highs
Precious metal prices declined in 2026Q2 (q/q) after 14 consecutive months of gains through February, including a 24 percent increase in 2026Q1. By June, gold
AI, productivity, and work: Evidence from US firms
Real-time evidence from users can inform the current policy debates around artificial intelligence. This column reports on a survey of executives at typical US firms
China shock 2.0 and the euro area: Cheaper imports, tougher competition
Chinese goods exports have expanded sharply since 2020, with Chinese firms increasingly competing in advanced manufacturing and technology sectors. This column shows that the dominant
