Raising employment among women and older workers: A policy lever for ageing economies
Declining working-age populations are set to weigh on growth across economies where the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development invests and beyond, with demographic projections
Hidden exposures in domestic supply chains: The spread of foreign trade risks
Understanding how foreign shocks affect economies has become a policy priority. Using domestic firm-to-firm transaction data matched with customs records, this column shows that Italy’s
From policy to results: How legal solutions drive development impact
Strong legal systems are essential to the goals of the world’s development agenda. They enable governments and institutions to design and implement the policies, laws, and
Public R&D and Brazil’s agricultural revolution
It is often argued that returns to R&D are low in developing countries, making imported technologies a better path to growth. Yet technologies designed for
IMF chief says global economy doing ‘better than feared,’ risks remain
IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said the U.S. economy had dodged a recession feared by many experts just six months ago. The world economy has
Bank climate commitments and green lending in emerging markets
The low-carbon transition requires substantial financial mobilisation, yet it is unclear whether banks’ public climate commitments represent real change or simply greenwashing. This column uses
Firms, family-friendly policies, and fertility
Family-friendly policies often aim to make it ‘easier’ to have children, yet little is known about how firms respond to such policies. This column develops
Transmission of foreign shocks to import prices in firm-to-firm networks
A key question in the context of a trade war is whether the burden of tariffs falls on foreign exporters or domestic importers. This column
Lessons for rebuilding Ukraine from economic recoveries after natural disasters
Although the source and duration of the destruction differ, wars and natural disasters disrupt economies in similar ways. This column examines the effects of natural
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
