Emerging Stronger From the Great Lockdown
The managing director and the chief economist of the International Monetary Fund lay out a strategy for sustained recovery.
Africa & World Economy
COVID-19 Response in Emerging Market Economies: Conventional Policies and Beyond
The economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on emerging market economies far exceeded that of the global financial crisis. Unlike previous crises, the response has been decisive just like in advanced economies. Yet, conventional policies are reaching their limit and unorthodox policies are not without risks.
Global Imbalances and the COVID-19 Crisis
A new IMF External Sector Report shows that overall current account deficits and surpluses in 2019 were just below 3 percent of world GDP, slightly less than a year earlier. The latest forecasts for 2020 imply only a further narrowing by some 0.3 percent of world GDP, a more modest decline than after the global financial crisis 10 years ago.
Impact of Conflict and Political Instability on Banking Crises in Developing Economies
A new IMF staff paper investigates whether rising conflict and political instability globally over the past several decades has led to more banking crises in developing countries. The study focuses on the potential impact of conflict and political instability on systemic banking crisis in 92 developing countries over the period 1970-2016.
COVID-19 is Reducing Domestic Remittances in Africa: What does it Mean for Poor Households?
The amount remitted by migrants from Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) has grown tenfold in two decades, from $4.8 billion in 2000 to $48 billion in 2018. This reflects a steady increase in the number of people who decided to move in search of a better life: from 21.6 million in 2000, the number of migrants from Africa grew to 36.3 million in 2017.
COVID-19 Crushes Global Economy but Emerging Markets are in Bigger Troubles
By 2021, it is of high expectation that the world will return to normalcy, and economies around the world should recover from the adverse effect of coronavirus spread. However, emerging markets may continue to wallow in economic crisis as contemporary issues like weak GDP growth rate, unemployment rate, high debt profile, income inequalities, among others, remain in the picture, most of which have been worsened by the global pandemic effects.
The Impact of COVID-19 (Coronavirus) on Global Poverty: Why Sub-Saharan Africa Might be the Region Hardest Hit
COVID-19 is taking its toll on the world, causing deaths, illnesses and economic despair. But how is the deadly virus impacting global poverty? Here we’ll argue that it is pushing about 40-60 million people into extreme poverty, with our best estimate being 49 million.
Germany: The Troubled Giant
So far in 2020, the industrial giant of EU zone has been badly hit as a result of several factors in the global space, causing further pain for the economy. In January 2020, production activities nosedived, recording a huge decline of about 2.7% year-on-year, blame the total economic lockdown measure against the global pandemic.
What Beer Sales Tell us about the Recession
Craft beer sales are surging at stores, but craft breweries are still struggling. Cheap beer is surging, but it’s still losing market share. That’s because the economics of the beer business are complicated. (And that’s before you start drinking). But the beer business can tell us a lot about the last two recessions.
Venezuela: Can the Grass be Green Again?
Inflation rate in Venezuela has skyrocketed, moving an average figure of 21.07% in 2012 to as high as 65,374.08% in 2018 before moderating to c.15,000% in 2020. Hence, the venezuelan Bolivar has lost its value, causing more money to chase fewer goods – imagining buying a roll of toilet paper with 2.6 million Venezuelan Bolivars in 2018.