Inclusive Growth | IMF Blog

How the Commodity Boom Helped Tackle Poverty and Inequality in Latin America

By Ravi Balakrishnan and Frederik Toscani

June 21, 2018

People buying produce in a busy market in Bahia, Brazil. During the commodity boom, Brazil saw significant reductions in poverty and inequality (photo: golero/iStock by Getty Images)

Latin America may be the most unequal region in the world, but it is the only region to significantly lower inequality over the past two decades, and the boom in commodity prices helped make it happen. Continue reading “How the Commodity Boom Helped Tackle Poverty and Inequality in Latin America” »

By IMFBlog| June 21st, 2018|Advanced Economies, education, Emerging Markets, inclusive growth, Inequality, Investment, Latin America, Poverty, taxation, wages|

Chart of the Week: Distribution of Globalization’s Gains

By IMFBlog

May 31, 2018

A garment factory in Ethiopia, which globalization has helped to boost its growth (photo: Kay Neitfeld/Newscom).

While globalization is generally good for economic growth, the benefits are subject to diminishing marginal returns, according to a recent study of 147 countries from 1970 to 2014. The study looks at how globalization affects the distribution of incomes across and within countries. Continue reading “Chart of the Week: Distribution of Globalization’s Gains” »

By IMFBlog| May 31st, 2018|Advanced Economies, China, developing countries, Emerging Markets, Globalization, Government, inclusive growth, India, Inequality, U.S.|

Mapping Income Polarization in the United States

By Ali Alichi and Rodrigo Mariscal

May 15, 2018

Versions in Español, Português

Investment in education an important countervailing force in addressing income inequality (photo: Istock by Getty Images).

When it comes to income inequality among American households, outcomes have varied widely across the 50 U.S. states. The impact of international competition gets a lot of the blame, along with automation, in states that have fared the worst. Continue reading “Mapping Income Polarization in the United States” »

By IMFBlog| May 15th, 2018|Advanced Economies, Economic research, education, inclusive growth, Inequality, U.S.|

Trust and the Future of Multilateralism

By David Lipton

May 10, 2018
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Where trust exists and is reciprocated—where there is “confidence” in policies, institutions and systems—economies will achieve more (photo: iStock by Getty Images).

We live in an era of doubts and questions about the global order. We have seen an erosion of trust in bedrock institutions—political parties, national governments, regional authorities, and among international trade and investment partners. Continue reading “Trust and the Future of Multilateralism” »

By IMFBlog| May 10th, 2018|Advanced Economies, corruption, Global Governance, Government, inclusive growth, structural reforms|

Mounting Debt Threatens Sustainable Development Goals

By Chris Lane and Elliott Harris

April 27, 2018

Versions in baˈhasa indoneˈsia(Indonesian), Español (Spanish), Français (French), Português (Portuguese)

A market in Port-au-Prince, Haiti: some developing countries are falling behind when it comes to incomes (photo: Dumont Bildarchiv/Newscom).

In 2015, 193 countries adopted the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as an overarching policy roadmap through 2030. These goals are predicated on the idea that for a sustainable future, economic growth must go hand-in-hand with social inclusion and protection of the environment.

Our respective institutions, the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), fully support these goals. From the UN perspective, they represent a down payment on a more peaceful, prosperous, and cooperative world, especially in increasingly perilous times. For the IMF, they help underpin economic stability and sustainable and inclusive economic growth. Continue reading “Mounting Debt Threatens Sustainable Development Goals” »

By IMFBlog| April 27th, 2018|capital markets, corruption, Debt Relief, Financial markets, Global Governance, IMF, inclusive growth, Inequality, Infrastructure, Investment, Public debt, Reform, taxation, trade|

Shining a Bright Light into the Dark Corners of Weak Governance and Corruption

By Christine Lagarde

April 22, 2018

Versions in عربي (Arabic), 中文 (Chinese), Español (Spanish), Français (French), baˈhasa indoneˈsia (Indonesian), 日本語 (Japanese), Português (Portuguese), Русский (Russian)

Anti-corruption strategies require broader regulatory and institutional reforms (photo: Kritchanut/iStock).

The IMF Executive Board has just endorsed a new framework for stepping up engagement on governance and corruption in our member countries. Let me talk about why this is important and what it means for our work.

Continue reading “Shining a Bright Light into the Dark Corners of Weak Governance and Corruption” »

By IMFBlog| April 22nd, 2018|Advanced Economies, corruption, Financial regulation, Global Governance, Government, inclusive growth, Inequality, Investment, Politics, Spring Meetings, structural reforms, taxation|

Globalization Helps Spread Knowledge and Technology Across Borders

By Aqib Aslam, Johannes Eugster, Giang Ho, Florence Jaumotte, Carolina Osorio-Buitron, and Roberto Piazza

April 9, 2018

Versions in عربي (Arabic), 中文 (Chinese), Español (Spanish), Français (French), 日本語 (Japanese), Português (Portuguese), Русский (Russian)

Using artificial intelligence at a hospital in Qingdao, China: the spread of knowledge and technology between countries has intensified (photo: Sipa Asia/Sipa USA/Newscom).

It took 1,000 years for the invention of paper to spread from China to Europe. Nowadays, in a world that has become more integrated, innovations spread faster and through many channels.

Our research in Chapter 4 of the April 2018 World Economic Outlook takes a closer look at how technology travels between countries. We find that the spread of knowledge and technology across borders has intensified because of globalization. In emerging markets, the transfer of technology has helped to boost innovation and productivity even in the recent period of weak global productivity growth. Continue reading “Globalization Helps Spread Knowledge and Technology Across Borders” »

By IMFBlog| April 9th, 2018|Advanced Economies, capital markets, commodities, Economic outlook, Emerging Markets, Globalization, inclusive growth, labor force, productivity, Spring Meetings, technology|

Managing Debt Vulnerabilities in Low-Income and Developing Countries

By Tao Zhang

March 22, 2018

Versions in Português (Portuguese)

Congested streets in Dhaka, Bangladesh. In a third of low-income countries, including Bangladesh, government deficits finance investment in much needed infrastructure (photo: Motoya Taguchi/Jiji Press/Newscom).

Government debt in some of the world’s poorest countries is rising to risky levels, a new IMF report shows. The report looks at economic developments and prospects among the world’s low-income countries, which account for a fifth of the world’s population but only four percent of global output. Continue reading “Managing Debt Vulnerabilities in Low-Income and Developing Countries” »

Policy Actions to Sustain Growth and Guard Against Risks

By Christine Lagarde

March 15, 2018

Versions in عربي (Arabic), 中文 (Chinese), Español (Spanish), Français (French), 日本語 (Japanese), Português (Portuguese) Русский (Russian)

Even though the sun still shines on the global economy, there are more clouds on the horizon (iStock by GettyImages).

When the Group of Twenty finance ministers and central bank governors met last October, there was a sense of optimism about the global economic upswing and the opportunities for much-needed reforms.

When they meet again in Buenos Aires next week, their focus will be on the policies needed to protect this upswing against downside risks and bolster growth going forward.

The good news is that the growth momentum has continued to strengthen, involving three- quarters of the world economy.

Continue reading “Policy Actions to Sustain Growth and Guard Against Risks” »

By IMFBlog| March 15th, 2018|Advanced Economies, Asia, banking, China, developing countries, Economic outlook, Economic research, education, Employment, Europe, exchange rates, exports, Finance, Financial Crisis, Financial markets, Fiscal, G-20, Gender issues, Globalization, Government, growth, IMF, imports, inclusive growth, income, Inequality, inflation, International Monetary Fund, Investment, Jobs, labor markets, Low-income countries, Multilateral Cooperation, productivity, Public debt, taxation, trade, U.S., Uncategorized, unemployment|

Beware of Strike-it-Rich Euphoria: the Curse of Potential Oil Wealth

By IMFBlog

March 9, 2018

(photo: Nielubieklonu/iStock).

The resource curse, or paradox of plenty, is when countries with an abundance of natural resources suffer stagnant economic growth or even contraction.

In this podcast, World Bank economist James Cust, says the problem of eradicating extreme poverty is going to be about how resource-rich countries manage their resource wealth. Continue reading “Beware of Strike-it-Rich Euphoria: the Curse of Potential Oil Wealth” »

By IMFBlog| March 9th, 2018|Africa, commodities, Economic research, Fiscal, Fiscal policy, Global Governance, Government, inclusive growth, Low-income countries, Oil, Poverty|

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