Global economy remains fragile; high-income countries suffering from slow growth. Read more ...
Providing information, analysis, and advice on global trends in the world economy. Find out more ...
Now free. Daily and monthly updates on global economic developments and relevant topical issues. Find out more ...
Important developments today:
U.S. GDP posts surprisingly strong fourth quarter GDP growth.
European unemployment increases to 10% rate.
Industrial production in Japan posts positive year-on-year growth.
Over the past several years, a number of African low- and lower-middle income countries have put development of local currency bond markets on their national policy agendas. Several common motives have been driving this, including a desire to avoid the currency mismatch that can be associated with domestic debt that is denominated in foreign currencies—which has been known to trigger and worsen the severity of financial crises.
The Global Economic Prospects 2010 dissemination mission continues this week to Berlin, Madrid, Beijing, Hanoi, and Jakarta. Next stops: New Delhi, Ankara, Warsaw, and Moscow.
As the report authors met with policy makers, economists, think tanks, and journalists discussing the state of the global economy and its impact on developing countries (especially how to deal with tight international financing that could limit growth), the ensuing news coverage mirror the particular concerns of each country.
We have been receiving a lot of requests for data and facts on Haiti, not only on migration and remittances, but also on the real economy. Here is some data we have downloaded from publicly available sources.
Haiti Factsheet
Important developments today:
Global equities bounce back on improving sentiment.
New orders for durable goods in the U.S. increase.
Brazil's unemployment rate drops to record low.
The Québec Association of Economists held its 18th annual meeting on January 21 in Québec City. It happened to coincide with the launch of Global Economic Prospects 2010 (GEP) and my hosts were thrilled to be "part of the launch."
Important Developments today:
Growing signs of sovereign debt tensions
Sales of new homes in the U.S. decline
Japanese exports move towards positive year-over-year growth
Global imbalances, best understood as the accumulation of large current account surpluses by some countries and large deficits by others, have pre-occupied economists for many years. During much of thi
Important developments today:
Emerging market assets continue slump
IMF revises forecast for 2010 to 4% growth
U.S. consumer confidence up in January on improved job prospects
Important developments today:
Two distinct phases have characterized the recent movement of emerging market currencies. The first phase was a sharp decline when the crisis first occurred, as capital flight into the safety of the dollar led to a significant depreciation of emerging market currencies vis-à-vis the dollar.
Important developments today:
Fixing bankers' compensation is all the rage these days. The latest salvo in the ongoing tussle is the December joint proposal by France and Britain to impose a windfall tax on the bonuses of bankers, along with the crisis "responsibility fee" suggested by the United States.
The tone of the World Bank’s newly published Global Economic Prospects 2010 is somber, with a lot of concern about vulnerabilities and unsolved problems. That might be surprising, because the report also predicts a widespread, global recovery (global growth of 2.7 percent this year and 3.2 percent next year) after the disastrous 2.2 percent contraction of global output in 2009. Is there no reason to celebrate?
Welcome to a new World Bank blog, Prospects for Development.
