Featured analysis

The yen’s travails in an era of geopolitical rivalry

Econographics Aug 22, 2025

Trump’s challenges to the Fed’s independence loom over Jackson Hole Symposium

By Alisha Chhangani

As Trump tests the limits of what he can do, the credibility of the Fed—and by extension, global financial stability—is increasingly at risk.
Economy & Business International Markets
The yen’s travails in an era of geopolitical rivalry

Econographics Jul 17, 2025

Charting a strategic path for Syria’s postwar reconstruction

By Kimberly Donovan, Jonathan Panikoff, Lize de Kruijf, Manal Fatima

As Syria emerges from over a decade of conflict, easing sanctions by the United States, the European Union (EU), and other European partners is an important step toward reintegrating Syria into the global economy. Yet, for a country that has been economically isolated for over fourteen years, lifting sanctions is only the beginning.
Economic Sanctions Economy & Business
The yen’s travails in an era of geopolitical rivalry

Fintech Frontlines Jul 8, 2025

Stablecoins are trending, but what frictions and risks are getting overlooked?

By Ashley Lannquist

Stablecoin usage is complex for consumers, and large-scale adoption could introduce new challenges for financial stability and regulatory oversight.
Digital Currencies Economy & Business

COMMENTARY & ANALYSIS

Econographics deep dives

Special sections that go inside the Chinese economy, the evolution of sanctions, and the future of money.

 

Sinographs

In-depth analysis of economic and financial trends in the Chinese economy.

Fintech frontlines

Research and analysis on the intersection of technology and policy developments in finance.

Global sanctions dashboard

Monthly analysis of global sanctions regimes—highlighting new listings, delistings, and the motivations behind these changes.

Latest analysis

The view of boats on the red Sea.

Econographics

Jan 8, 2024

The long shadow of the Red Sea shipping disruption

By Alex Mills

Recent attacks on shipping moving through the red sea have exposed broader risks around international maritime commerce. Policy makers must use this wake-up call to build a more resilient international shipping ecosystem.

East Africa
Economy & Business

Econographics

Jan 3, 2024

Five under-the-radar economic trends that could define 2024

By Josh Lipsky, Sophia Busch

We picked five under-the-radar trends that will matter for the global economy in 2024. Each shows the potential weak spots in the global economy alongside the forces that could stabilize growth.

China
Economy & Business
Building with EU flags

Econographics

Dec 19, 2023

Three next steps for the EU’s approach to economic security

By Elmar Hellendoorn

The EU’s Strategy on Economic Security, published this summer, was the first official effort to present a more coherent view on the European policy approach at the intersection of economics and geopolitics. In the end, however, the EU’s approach to economic security can only be successful if it is tied to Europe’s long-term political objectives.

Economic Sanctions
European Union
Ships on Red Sea

Econographics

Dec 18, 2023

What attacks in the Red Sea could mean for the global economy

By Hung Tran

Recent missile attacks on ships in the Red Sea by Iran-backed Houthi rebels have escalated regional tensions and disrupted global trade. Large shipping companies are now avoiding the route, causing significant costs and delays, which is impacting the the already fragile economy.

Economy & Business
International Markets

Econographics

Dec 11, 2023

China’s manufacturing overcapacity threatens global green goods trade

By Niels Graham

Chinese lending is exacerbating a growing glut in its green manufacturing sector. Beijing is increasingly looking abroad to absorb excess capacity. This may have devastating effects for the global trading system as economies move to protect their own domestic industry.

China
Economy & Business

Econographics

Dec 7, 2023

Germany’s debt brake isn’t working

By Hung Tran

Germany’s coalition government was dealt a fiscal crisis when the country’s Constitutional Court ruled that repurposing €60 billion of unspent money from the pandemic emergency support facility to the Climate and Transformation Fund was unconstitutional.

Economy & Business
Financial Regulation

Econographics

Dec 1, 2023

Financialization has increased economic fragility

By Hung Tran

Since the 1980s, financial activities and assets have played an increasingly dominant role in the global economy. At the same time, underlying economic activity as measured by global GDP has been growing more slowly. The result has been an ever-larger gap between the volume and value of financial activity relative to the real economy. And […]

Financial Regulation
International Markets

Econographics

Nov 30, 2023

Geoeconomic fragmentation is threatening the green energy transition

By Amin Mohseni-Cheraghlou

The energy transition depends on trade—and on China. Geoeconomic fragmentation could impact global climate targets.

Africa
China

Econographics

Nov 16, 2023

CBDCs will further fragment the global economy—and could threaten the dollar

By Hung Tran, Barbara C. Matthews

Divergent regulatory and technological standards are evolving along geopolitical fault lines. Such an outcome would be costly.

China
Digital Currencies

Econographics

Nov 14, 2023

The economic implications of a federal government shutdown

By Niels Graham

For the third time this year, stalemate in Washington is again threatening the US economic outlook. If Congress is unable to agree on a funding bill by November 17, the federal government will be forced to halt most discretionary spending. Depending on its length and severity, this shutdown could rattle global bond markets, increase November […]

Economy & Business
International Markets
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Content

Econographics

Apr 30, 2024

The yen’s travails in an era of geopolitical rivalry

By Hung Tran

In an era marked by geopolitical tensions, the yen's depreciation underscores the broader economic fallout from a persistently strong dollar and rising US interest rates.

Economy & Business
Indo-Pacific
Factory under construction

Econographics

Apr 29, 2024

The IMF warms to industrial policy—but with caveats

By Walter Frick

Industrial policy is making a comeback around the world. There’s no better sign of this than the new attention paid to subsidies by bastions of the Washington consensus like the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which has historically been very skeptical of them.

Fiscal and Structural Reform
International Financial Institutions

Econographics

Apr 25, 2024

The basics of CBDC

By Alisha Chhangani and Leila Hamilton

The race for the future of money is on, so here are the key items to catch you up on what a central bank digital currency is—and what it isn’t.

Digital Currencies
Economy & Business
Brazil G20 bilboard

Econographics

Apr 12, 2024

Brazil’s approach to the G20: Leading by example

By Hung Tran

Brazil’s non-aligned, cooperative, and practical approach holds out the promise of a constructive outcome for this year’s G20 meetings—especially if progress is measured by concrete global initiatives.

Brazil
G20

Sinographs

Apr 9, 2024

Breaking down Janet Yellen’s comments on Chinese overcapacity

By Hung Tran

It is reasonable to criticize and complain to China, but policymakers should remember that an end to overcapacity would mean a major shift in China’s economic model—which is exceedingly unlikely.

China
Economy & Business
Bulk carrier ship in river port. Dry cargo grain elevator trade. Agrarian maritime facility. Cargo ship in the sea. Sunset view. factory on the water.

Econographics

Apr 5, 2024

Ukraine’s grain exports are crucial to Africa’s food security

By Yulia Bychkovska

Moscow is trying to increase Africa’s dependence on its imports by blocking the exports of Ukrainian grain. By helping Ukraine sell its grain, the West can offer the African continent an alternative to Russia’s grain and decrease Russia’s profits.

Africa
Economic Sanctions

Econographics

Mar 28, 2024

Understanding the debate over IMF quota reform

By Hung Tran

The politics and mathematics of reform are tougher than they appear. A simple reform matching quotas to global economic weight will not be welcomed by many countries.

Africa
China

Econographics

Mar 26, 2024

Housing costs are slowing down the US climate transition

By Joseph Webster

The US housing shortage has profound economic consequences. Less discussed is the fact that it is slowing down the US climate transition.

Energy Transitions
Financial Regulation
World Bank-IMF Meeting in Marrakesh

Econographics

Mar 25, 2024

Making Africa a top priority for Bretton Woods Institutions

By Amin Mohseni-Cheraghlou

With deeper engagement of Bretton Woods institutions, African economies can seize the moment and become the engine of global growth.

Africa
Fiscal and Structural Reform
Blue Globe viewing from space at night with connections between cities

Econographics

Mar 20, 2024

Global Sanctions Dashboard: How Hamas raises, uses, and moves money

By Kimberly Donovan, Maia Nikoladze, Ryan Murphy, and Alessandra Magazzino

How Hamas raises, uses, and moves money; How sanctions are used to counter Hamas and combat the financing of terrorism; Where governments align and diverge in their approaches to combat this activity.

Economic Sanctions
European Union
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