Chart of the WeekLower Oil Reliance Insulates World From 1970s-Style Crude Shock
The war in Ukraine and sanctions on Russia are causing substantial economic spillovers, notably for energy.
Chart of the WeekWar-Fueled Surge in Food Prices to Hit Poorer Nations Hardest
Global food prices are poised to keep climbing even after jumping to a record in February, placing the heaviest burden on vulnerable populations while adding to headwinds for the global economic recovery.
Surging Energy Prices May Not Ease Until Next Year
Soaring natural gas prices are rippling through global energy markets—and other economic sectors from factories to utilities.
Managing the Political Economy of Climate Change Policies
By Davide Furceri, Michael Ganslmeier, and Jonathan D. Ostry
Few issues have sparked more attention than how to avoid environmental and human catastrophe from climate change. […]
Building an Inclusive Recovery in the Middle East and Central Asia
By Jihad Azour and Joyce Wong
Countries in the Middle East and Central Asia face with COVID-19 a public health emergency unlike any seen in our lifetime, along with an unprecedented economic downturn. […]
Outlook for the Americas: A Tougher Recovery
July 23, 2018
Versions in Español, Português
Street vendors in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: While growth is accelerating in some parts of Latin America, the recovery has become tougher for some of the largest economies (photo: Oliver Wintzen/Robert Harding/Newscom)
Economic activity in Latin America continues to recover. Following the pickup in domestic demand led by consumption in 2017, investment is finally gathering strength. […]
Shifting Tides: Policy Challenges and Opportunities for the G-20
July 18, 2018
Versions in عربي, 中文, Español, Français 日本語, Português, Русский
Cars to be shipped abroad, Jiangsu, China: trade tariffs have gone into effect and export orders have decreased (photo: Imagine China/Newscom)
The artist Claude Monet once said, “I worked without stopping, for the tide at this moment is just as I need it.” As the Group of Twenty finance ministers gather this week at the banks of the Rio de la Plata in Buenos Aires they should be inspired by the words of Monet, […]
The Global Expansion: Still Strong but Less Even, More Fragile, Under Threat
July 16, 2018
Versions in عربي, Baˈhasa indoneˈsia, 中文, Español, Français, 日本語, Português, Русский
The escalation of trade tensions is the greatest near-term threat to global growth (photo: wildpixel/Getty Images by iStock)
Amid rising tensions over international trade, the broad global expansion that began roughly two years ago has plateaued and become less balanced. […]
Chart of the Week: Oil Prices & Energy Subsidies
By IMFBlog
November 27, 2017
Versions in 中文(Chinese); Español (Spanish), Français (French), 日本語 (Japanese)
Universal fuel and energy subsidies have been prevalent in sub-Saharan Africa, but they have substantial drawbacks (photo: Reuters/Newscom).
Reforms in some mostly oil-exporting countries, along with lower international fuel prices since 2014, have reduced the size of fuel subsidies in sub-Saharan Africa, and they need to do more given the recent rise in international fuel prices.
Universal fuel and energy subsidies have been prevalent in sub-Saharan Africa, but they have substantial drawbacks. They tend to benefit the rich rather than the poor, foster fuel overconsumption, and crowd out more productive government spending. […]
A Common Cause for Sustainable Growth and Stability in Central Africa
August 1, 2017
Version in Français (French), Português (Portuguese), and Español (Spanish);
Woman with a machete in Bafut, Cameroon: Six countries in Central Africa have a strategy to turn their economies around, with help from the IMF (photo: Heiner Heine/imageBroker/Newscom)
Six countries in central Africa have been hit hard by the collapse in commodity prices. Oil prices dropped, economic growth stalled, public debt rose, and foreign exchange reserves declined. A delayed response from policymakers, and a regional conflict have worsened the situation further for people in the region.
The countries of the Central African Economic and Monetary Community are Gabon, Cameroon, Chad, the Central African Republic, the Republic of Congo, and Equatorial Guinea. They share a common currency—the CFA franc—that is pegged to the euro, and have a common central bank that holds the region’s pool of foreign exchange reserves. […]