After years of ultra-loose fiscal, monetary, and credit policies and the onset of major negative supply shocks, stagflationary pressures are now putting the squeeze on a massive mountain of public- and private-sector debt. The mother of all economic crises looms, and there will be little that policymakers can do about it. Read More Here
Remittances to low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) withstood global headwinds in 2022, growing an estimated 5% to $626 billion. This is sharply lower than the 10.2% increase in 2021, according to the latest World Bank Migration and Development Brief. Read More Here
The most formidable demographic challenge facing the world is no longer rapid population growth, but population ageing. Thoughtful preparedness—combining behavioural changes, investment in human capital and infrastructure, policy and institutional reforms, and technological innovations—can enable countries to meet the challenge and take advantage of the opportunities presented by demographic change. Read More Here
UNCTAD’s Review of Maritime Transport 2022 warns that maritime transport and logistics require greater investment in infrastructure and sustainability to weather future storms. Read More Here
World trade is expected to lose momentum in the second half of 2022 and remain subdued in 2023 as multiple shocks weigh on the global economy. WTO economists now predict global merchandise trade volumes will grow by 3.5% in 2022—slightly better than the 3.0% forecast in April. For 2023, however, they foresee a 1.0% increase—down […]
The global economy’s dire and deteriorating prospects, together with the scale of the climate challenge, have apparently opened world leaders’ eyes to the risks that deglobalization poses. But it remains to be seen whether this realization will be followed by the action needed to reverse course. Read More Here
After two years of quantitative easing, central banks have begun to shrink their balance sheets, and liquidity seems to have vanished in the space of just a few months – revealing acute financial-system vulnerabilities. Read More Here
Misguided policies in China and Europe have compounded the effects of supply-chain disruptions and the war in Ukraine, thus putting an end to the global recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. Read More Here
The best method to strengthen and secure the supply chain is a coordinated approach with allies and partners that avoids completely excluding China, so long as it refrains from destabilising behaviours such as invading Taiwan. Read More Here
Neither the breakdown of multilateralism nor the rise of the digital economy has made international trade and its central governing body any less important. An open, transparent, rules-based trading system remains crucial for driving economic development and addressing global problems like climate change. Read More Here
looking beyond borders 