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Markets prey on our weaknesses. Two Nobel Laureates say so.
One more swipe at homo economicus and he might just meet his maker. This time two Nobel laureates George Akerlof (2001) and Robert Shiller (2013) are packing the punch. In a new book called “Phishing...
View ArticleLights, camera, action on entertainment education!
Also available in: Español | Français | العربية Behavior change campaigns are all around us. They remind us to get our flu shots; warn us that food and drinks are not allowed when using public...
View ArticleIndia’s chaotic and messy use of energy
Globally, India ranks fourth in energy consumption, but it is not well endowed with energy resources. Being the second most populous country in the world, how India manages its industrialization and...
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Commodity prices come tumbling down
Most commodity prices fell in the third quarter of 2015 as a result of abundant supplies and weak demand, leading to a further downward revision in price forecasts for 2015 and 2016. Our quarterly...
View ArticleDigital India = Inclusive India
One of the greatest marvels of our times, undoubtedly, is the digital revolution. It has pushed through human limitations to unleash an ‘e’-era of cutting-edge innovations. Be it a student taking an...
View ArticleThe poverty line’s battle lines
For a long time, as a college professor and then as the chief economic adviser to the Indian government, I was a happy user of the World Bank’s data on global poverty, tracking trends and analyzing...
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Lifting of Iran sanctions could have major impact on energy markets
With a lifting of sanctions in 2016, Iran could play a key role in energy markets but boosting capacity will require foreign investment, according to the World Bank’s latest edition of Commodity...
View ArticleAppointing a gender equal cabinet is good for Canada – but not for the reason...
Recently, Canada’s newly elected Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, appointed a cabinet that is 50% female. Explaining the choice, Trudeau stated that it was important “to present to Canada a cabinet...
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Night lights and the pursuit of subnational GDP: Application to Kenya & Rwanda
Estimating national-level growth levels and rates is fraught with challenges. Doing so at subnational levels even more so – because of data challenges, and difficulties in attributing economic activity...
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How digital financial services boost women’s economic opportunities
Imagine having to skip work every month to travel to the city center just to pay your electricity bill or your child’s school fee? Would you not worry if your income relied on remittances and you were...
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Record-setting El Niño may disrupt locally but won’t cause spike in global ag...
El Niño weather patterns are known to disrupt commodity production, and by most accounts the current episode will be the strongest on record. Although this El Nino could cause considerable damage at...
View ArticleWhy economic convergence matters in today’s globalized world
In his fine book The Upside of Down: Catastrophe, Creativity and the Renewal of Civilization, professor Thomas Homer-Dixon refers to the projected divergence in average income per capita between the...
View ArticleThe consequences of banning child labor
From a normative perspective, we can all agree that child labor is reprehensible and should be banned, particularly in its worst forms. According to the International Labor Organization (ILO), child...
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How roads support development
Rural road. Photo: Curt Carnemark / World Bank Roads are the arteries through which the economy pulses. By linking producers to markets, workers to jobs, students to school, and the sick to hospitals,...
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Does firm size matter for productivity? The case of informal firms in Africa
There are two fairly accepted empirical observations. First, formal firms are more productive and larger than informal firms. Second, in the formal sector, large firms are more productive than small...
View ArticleAs development actors, how should we address the forced displacement crisis?
Forced displacement has long been seen as a humanitarian issue. But with the number of forcibly displaced people at historic highs, there are increasing calls for development actors to engage. The...
View ArticleSaturday, December 12 was UHC Day. What have we learned in the last 12 months...
It turns out lots of interesting things happened on December 12. Beethoven had his first lesson in music composition with Franz Joseph Haydn (1792), Washington, D.C. became the capital of the US...
View ArticleFrom global SDGs to country policymaking
What should countries do to accelerate progress on the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) agenda? The agenda, adopted by the world’s leaders in September is very comprehensive: its 17 goals and 169...
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Narrowing gender gaps through online job matching: How does Souktel do it?
“Within two days, I was able to hire the right people from the right locations” -- Employer using Souktel In West Bank and Gaza, women are 19 percent of the total labor force (figure 1). But among the...
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How has China moved-up the global value chains?
The last few decades have witnessed the rise of global value chains (GVC), with factories being set up in the faraway countries, such as China, Vietnam, Bangladesh and Mexico, producing and shipping...
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