Jiaxiong Yao is an economist in the IMF’s African Department, working on big data analytical projects with a focus on issues in the sub-Saharan African region, such as conflict and climate change. He previously worked in the IMF’s Research Department on monetary policy issues. He holds a Ph.D. in economics from Johns Hopkins University and a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Tsinghua University, Beijing, China. He coauthored the IMF Working Paper 19/77 on “Illuminating Economic Growth.”