Featured analysis

Rollout of the digital yuan

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
Rollout of the digital yuan

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
Rollout of the digital yuan

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

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

Econographics

Mar 14, 2024

CBDCs will need to work across borders. Here are the models exploring how to do it

By Ananya Kumar, Alisha Chhangani

These innovative models reflect a clear realization in the both the public and private sector— as CBDCs become a part of the financial landscape, there needs to be a mechanism to interchange them across borders.

Digital Currencies Economy & Business
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Content

EconoGraphics

Apr 28, 2021

Rollout of the digital yuan

By The GeoEconomics Center

28. That’s the number of cities where China’s about to test drive the digital yuan. Our new animated map shows the rapid expansion planned for the mainland over the next eight months.

China Digital Currencies

Central Bank Digital Currencies

Apr 20, 2021

The Rise of Central Bank Digital Currencies

By GeoEconomics Center

What exactly is a Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) and how does the research compare globally?

Digital Currencies Digital Policy

EconoGraphics

Apr 14, 2021

Global Sanctions Dashboard: March

By Julia Friedlander, Michael Albanese and Castellum.AI

Growing international sanctions response to Chinese behavior, the Iran nuclear deal talks in Vienna, and the crisis in Myanmar.

China Economic Sanctions

EconoGraphics

Mar 22, 2021

China’s ‘Two Sessions’ goes off script

By Niels Graham, Josh Lipsky

Since their peak in mid-February, Chinese markets have lost $1.3 trillion dollars in value. The market route was likely caused by Beijing’s announcement of tighter fiscal policy and worries about inflation risks in America. Nevertheless, it is still unclear if the Chinese can tolerate the kind of volatility capitalist countries are accustomed to.

China Financial Regulation

EconoGraphics

Mar 19, 2021

Happy St Pats to Ireland: Boom, bust, and recovery for Europe’s most resilient

By GeoEconomics Center

This week, the Atlantic Council’s GeoEconomics Center dressed in green and took a moment to reflect on the Irish economy, one of the most resilient in the European Union.

Digital Policy Eurozone

EconoGraphics

Mar 11, 2021

Global Sanctions Dashboard: February

By Michael Albanese and Castellum.AI

Aligning with allies against human rights abusers and authoritarian regimes, lack of coordinated response to the ongoing genocide in Xinjiang.

China Economic Sanctions

EconoGraphics

Mar 10, 2021

How much money is the G20 spending?

By GeoEconomics Center

Our new fiscal firepower heat map, updated through March 2021, shows how G20 COVID-19 crisis spending now compares to the Global Financial Crisis. While nearly every country is deploying its fiscal firepower significantly more than a decade ago, China is still spending less.

China Economy & Business

New Atlanticist

Feb 19, 2021

How Janet Yellen can help deliver the digital dollar

By Josh Lipsky, JP Schnapper-Casteras

What precisely will the US Treasury Department do about the rise of digital currencies? Secretary Yellen and Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell should quickly harness the potential of these evolving financial tools, including a US-backed digital dollar.

Digital Currencies Digital Policy

EconoGraphics

Feb 12, 2021

Time for transatlantic trade to take off

By Ole Moehr

Trade tariffs continue to pose a threat to a transatlantic economy weakened by COVID-19, but there may now be some light at the end of the tunnel. Keen to rebuild transatlantic ties, Washington and Brussels must walk the talk to reach an agreement on aircraft subsidies and move the US-EU trade agenda forward.

European Union Trade and tariffs

EconoGraphics

Feb 12, 2021

Global Sanctions Dashboard: January

By Michael Albanese and Castellum.AI

Growing use of sanctions in foreign policy, Chinese sanctions against US senators, multilateral coordination on the sanctions policy.

China Economic Sanctions
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