Finance & Development Magazine

Big data | December 2025

Data that Delivers

To serve the public good, data needs to help us see our world more clearly, make better decisions, and respond intelligently to complexity.

GITA BHATT

More Data, Now What?

Big data | December 2025

The Pulse of the Planet

The explosion of data offers new ways to understand the economy—and change what gets measured, not just how

KENNETH CUKIER

Big data | December 2025
Alternative Data and Monetary Policy
Central bankers are tapping nontraditional data sources for a more complete picture of the economy
CLAUDIA SAHM
Big data | December 2025
It’s Time to Modernize Measures of Growth
Economic assessments may miss important changes in a rewired, data-driven economy
REBECCA RILEY

Big data | December 2025
Inside the AI-Led Resource Race
Material demands—for energy, chips, and minerals—will determine who dominates data
THIJS VAN DE GRAAF
Economic forecasting | December 2025
Forecasting the Present in Developing Economies
Nowcasting and new data sources can provide timelier and more frequent indicators
Jeff Kearns

Technology | December 2025

A New Industrial Revolution?

Artificial intelligence may rival steam, electricity, and computing—but history suggests its full economic impact will take time

NIALL KISHTAINY

Human capital | December 2025
The Human Edge
Curiosity, critical thinking, and self-regulation matter more than ever in the AI age
PABLO PENA
Globalization | December 2025
Why Civilizations Flourish—and Fail
From Athens to the Abbasids to today’s Anglosphere, creativity and commerce drive greatness
JOHAN NORBERG

Fintech | September 2025
Stablecoins, Tokens, and Global Dominance
Technology is reshaping capital flows and currency dominance; data integrity is essential for financial stability
HÉLÈNE REY
Economic forecasting | September 2025
Uncertainty about Uncertainty
Measures of uncertainty don’t quite measure up
HITES AHIR
NICHOLAS BLOOM
DAVIDE FURCERI

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PEOPLE IN ECONOMICS

Artificial intelligence | December 2025

Sendhil Mullainathan: The AI Economist

Bob Simison profiles MIT behavioral economist Sendhil Mullainathan, who is leading his discipline into the age of algorithms

BOB SIMISON

Economic theory | September 2025

Guido Imbens: A Causal Pioneer

Gary Seidman profiles Stanford economist Guido Imbens, who is reshaping how researchers establish cause and effect in the real world

GARY A. SEIDMAN

Central banks | June 2025

Agustín Carstens: The Innovative Central Banker

Andreas Adriano profiles Agustín Carstens, finance minister, head of the BIS, and central banker with a start-up mentality

ANDREAS ADRIANO

Migration | March 2025

Leah Boustan: Debunking Myths

Chris Wellisz profiles Princeton’s Leah Boustan, who uses ancestry data to test commonly held beliefs

CHRIS WELLISZ

Currencies | December 2025

The Dollar Game

Chess grandmaster-turned-economist Kenneth Rogoff talks about the moves that made the dollar king and those that could topple it

BRUCE EDWARDS

Taxes | September 2025

Taxing Matters

Stefanie Stantcheva explains how policymakers can raise taxes without scaring off innovators

Rhoda Metcalfe

Technology | June 2025

Tech’s Winner-Take-All Trap

Simon Johnson says tech innovation controlled by a select few can be self-serving and undermine the institutions that make it possible

BRUCE EDWARDS

Artificial intelligence | December 2024

Humankind’s Comparative Advantage

Yuval Noah Harari says humans have dominated the planet by telling stories but may soon no longer hold the pen

BRUCE EDWARDS

Big data | December 2025

Counting Smarter

The head of India’s statistics ministry, Saurabh Garg, explains how he is tackling challenges of scale as demand for real-time data grows

SRIKANTH SRINIVAS

Economic growth | Online Exclusive

Relentless Reformer

Indonesia’s finance minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati discusses geopolitics, economic reform, and being a role model for women

Nicholas Owen

Trade policy | June 2023

Policymaker and Negotiator

Former Korean trade chief Yoo Myung-hee talks about her country’s rise and risk amid economic fragmentation

Jeff Kearns

Central banks | March 2023

Embrace Debate

Karnit Flug stresses the importance of accountability and transparency in central banking

Nicholas Owen

International organization | December 2025
How Does the IMF Finance Itself?
Think of it as a credit union for countries
ANNA POSTELNYAK

Fintech | September 2025
What Is Tokenization?
Money has taken many forms over millennia; digital tokens are the latest
ITAI AGUR

Productivity | June 2025
Politicians Strive for Competitiveness
But in most situations, productivity is the better path to prosperity
KEVIN FLETCHER

Financial markets | March 2025
Bonds and Yields
Yields on bonds of different maturities reveal much about an economy’s prospects
S. M. ALI ABBAS
ERIKO TOGO