Digital technologies shielded labor and productivity from the pandemic, while lagging countries accelerated the adoption of technology. However, digitalization gaps persist.
Elevated risk aversion amid heightened geopolitical and inflation risks and tightening monetary policies in advanced economies weighed on sentiment
Property markets should enjoy greater stability when central banks slow or pause their campaign of raising interest rates to tame inflation
International organizations repeat joint call for rapid action on food and nutrition security
Bank lending grew faster in countries with policy packages combining large fiscal, monetary, and prudential measures.
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The outlook has brightened, but important longer-term challenges remain—including for China’s economy, the region's largest.
Restoring macro stability and boosting growth will require carefully-crafted policies that will help mitigate discontent
The fight against inflation is starting to pay off, but central banks must continue their efforts
Regulators and supervisors must act now to strengthen the prudential framework
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A new kind of multilateral platform could improve cross-border payments, leveraging technological innovations for public policy objectives
Stronger financial regulation and supervision, and developing global standards, can help address many concerns about crypto assets
Amid slowing global growth, promoting technological adoption and closing digital divides can help the region boost aggregate productivity and economic output
Wage gains remain broadly in line with past episodes, which didn’t tend to lead to sustained wage-price acceleration
Fiscal policy can ease the task of monetary policy in reducing inflation while mitigating risks to financial stability
Tackling inflation while supporting growth and protecting the vulnerable warrants careful and vigilant monetary policy tightening
Analysis suggests a sustained acceleration of wages and prices is unlikely
Factors include the region’s heavy reliance on food imports and changes in food consumption and incomes.
Rapid increases in food prices have been one of the main drivers of quickening inflation around the world, as our Chart of the Week shows.
Novel survey shows how concerned people are about climate change, how they view mitigation polices, and what drives support for climate action
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Innovative debt swaps can help governments that have limited access to traditional grants or debt relief
A new data gaps initiative will play an important role in addressing climate-related data deficits
Innovative instruments and equity finance are needed to enhance risk-sharing through public-private partnerships and maximize the impact of scarce public funds
Fragmentation could make it even more difficult to help many vulnerable emerging and developing economies that have been hard hit by multiple shocks
Readers focus on war’s impact on the world, the repercussions of a strong dollar, and what policies can help revive economic growth
One-third of the world economy will likely contract this year or next amid shrinking real incomes and rising prices
The world’s three largest economies are stalling, with important consequences for the global outlook. Inflation is a major concern.
Greater integration into economies and labor markets would benefit Europe and refugees
Despite decades of rapid growth, regional inequalities in sub-Saharan Africa persist.
IMF staff have developed a novel measure of road quality across 162 countries using Google Maps to determine the mean, or average, time it takes to drive between large cities that are at least 80 kilometers (50 miles) apart.
Even before the pandemic, fragile and conflict-affected states (FCS) already confronted some of the greatest challenges among the world’s economies.
G20 should lead in sharing vaccine doses, helping developing countries financially, and committing to reaching net-zero carbon emissions by mid-century.
Already facing huge development needs, the COVID-19 pandemic is exacerbating the challenges facing fragile and conflict states—a group of currently about 40 countries trapped in cycles of low administrative capacity, political instability, conflict, and weak economic performance.
Capturing the dividends from women’s economic equity. Too many women are locked out of economic opportunities, which is not only unfair but also harms growth and resilience for all.
The pandemic has deepened long-standing gender gaps, with women continuing to bear the burden of unpaid work. By structuring spending and taxation in ways that advance gender equality—a process called gender budgeting—governments can help close the gap.
International Women’s Day, first recognized by the United Nations in 1977, grew from early 1900s labor movements for better working conditions and women’s right to work.
