What to do When Low-for-Long Interest Rates are Lower and for Longer
Central banks have played a pivotal role in easing financial conditions in response to the COVID-19 shock, and helped avert a catastrophic downturn. (more…)
Chart of the WeekWhen Inequality is High, Pandemics Can Fuel Social Unrest
By Tahsin Saadi Sedik and Rui Xu
In the months and years following previous pandemics, the countries most affected saw a rise in social unrest. (more…)
Cyber Risk is the New Threat to Financial Stability
By Jennifer Elliott and Nigel Jenkinson
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Many of us take for granted the ability to withdraw money from our bank account, wire it to family in another country, and pay bills online. (more…)
COVID-19 Hits the Poor Harder, but Scaled-Up Testing Can Help
By Allan Dizioli, Michal Andrle, and John Bluedorn
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Across the world, poor neighborhoods have experienced more COVID-19 infections and deaths than wealthier ones. The pandemic and the efforts to control it have disproportionately hurt the poor, both within and across countries. (more…)
Bridging the Digital Divide to Scale Up the COVID-19 Recovery
By Patrick Njoroge and Ceyla Pazarbasioglu
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Digitalization has in the past few years enabled developing countries in particular to leapfrog on financial inclusion. Countries like Kenya, Ghana, Rwanda and Tanzania have made great advances in connecting their citizens to financial systems by leveraging on mobile phone technology. (more…)
Sub-Saharan Africa’s Difficult Road to Recovery
The COVID-19 pandemic represents an unprecedented health and economic crisis for sub-Saharan Africa. (more…)
Engines Not Yet in Sync: A Multispeed Recovery in Asia
The Asia-Pacific region is recovering from its worst recession in living memory. Our latest Regional Economic Outlook shows that a recovery started in the third quarter, but growth engines are not all firing with the same power across countries, leading to a multispeed recovery. (more…)
A Leap Forward on Cross-Border Payments
By Tobias Adrian and Kristalina Georgieva
عربي, 中文, Español, Français, 日本語, Português, Русский
When paying for coffee, we swipe, tap, wave, and soon may wink—a quick and painless exchange of coffee for money. (more…)
Fiscal Policy for an Unprecedented Crisis
By Vitor Gaspar, Paulo Medas, John Ralyea, and Elif Ture
عربي, 中文, Español, Français, 日本語, Português, Русский
The COVID-19 crisis has devastated people’s lives, jobs, and businesses. Governments have taken forceful measures to cushion the blow, totaling a staggering $12 trillion globally. (more…)