What we can learn from public debt reductions in OECD countries
Public debt-to-GDP ratios have risen substantially over the past 25 years, and multiple spending pressures threaten to increase them further. This column outlines the lessons
How resilient is Russia’s economy after four years of war?
Resilience in Russia’s 2022–25 economy is fading as war spending slows growth, entrenches inflation and amplifies structural fragilities. In 2022-2025 the Russian economy demonstrated resilience
Reforming international taxation: Balancing profit shifting and investment responses
The global minimum tax represents the most ambitious international effort in decades to curb profit shifting to tax havens. But how much profit shifting actually
The hidden cycle: How informality shapes fiscal policy and sovereign default
The informal sector tends to expand during economic downturns and contract in recoveries, and is also highly sensitive to fiscal policy. This column explores the
Measuring what matters for business: The new B-READY data in the World Development Indicators
What makes a country a great place to start and grow a business? Among low-income economies across the world, only 29% have a single centralized
Extractive taxation and the French Revolution
Extractive taxation is considered one of the main causes of the French Revolution. This column exploits regional variations in the French salt tax, which accounted
