The world is urbanizing fast — the window to get it right is narrowing
The most important urban decisions of this century are being made right now, mostly in cities you’ve never heard of. Today, 4.7 billion people, about
When aging meets digital & AI: Closing the silver digital divide for an aging world
We are living through two megatrends humanity has never seen before. The first is aging. Populations over 65 are growing not just in developed countries,
Baby busts and GDP booms: Demographic change and the macroeconomy
Globally declining birth rates have, over the last seven decades, slowed population growth and raised average ages. This column argues that despite widespread economic pessimism,
What four charts reveal about the global jobs challenge
A record number of young people are approaching working age in emerging markets and developing economies (EMDEs), creating a historic global jobs challenge. Generating sufficient job
Beyond the snapshot: How poverty really unfolds over time in the EU
Poverty is not a static condition but a dynamic process. Yet the at-risk-of-poverty rate, which underpins EU poverty monitoring, captures who is poor in a
Technology adoption and labour shortages: Evidence from Britain’s Industrial Revolution
As populations in rich countries age and fewer youngsters enter the labour force, employers and politicians bemoan labour ‘shortages’. This column turns to historical evidence
Climate fairness, economic development, and Europe’s responsibility
The idea of equal cumulative emissions per person is simple: every individual should have an equal claim on the atmosphere regardless of where they live.
The economic footprint of Europe’s defence build-up
Defence policy is usually discussed as a national security issue, but its economic effects are often highly local. This column presents new evidence from 1,011
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
When private insurance buys faster access to public care
Supplemental private health insurance is becoming more common in universal healthcare systems as a way to secure faster access to specialists, diagnostics, and elective care.
