Featured analysis

Refer-Ending Renzi’s Government

Econographics May 12, 2025

Multilateralism under pressure: Takeaways from the 2025 IMF Spring Meetings

By Bart Piasecki

The 2025 IMF Spring Meetings unfolded against a backdrop of mounting geopolitical tensions, economic fragmentation, and rising doubts about the future of multilateral cooperation. Here are the key insights.
International Financial Institutions Macroeconomics
Refer-Ending Renzi’s Government

Econographics May 8, 2025

Pope Leo XIV’s electors represented Catholics’ changing economic distribution

By Israel Rosales

While the direction Pope Leo XIV will take the Church is unclear at this early stage, he’s unlikely to reverse Pope Francis’s push to elevate voices from the Global South.
Economy & Business International Financial Institutions
Refer-Ending Renzi’s Government

Sinographs Mar 12, 2025

China’s economic plans prioritize consumption—but only on paper

By Jeremy Mark

At last week’s meeting of the National People’s Congress, China declared consumption as the number one priority. But will the spending plans actually support consumers and businesses?
China 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

Econographics

Dec 8, 2022

The numbers that drove China’s Zero-COVID policy

By Niels Graham

China’s adherence to zero-COVID was primarily driven by poor vaccination rates among seniors and weak health care infrastructure. As the country opens, both factors remain key health risks.

China Coronavirus

Econographics

Nov 23, 2022

US-China competition after the US midterms and the CCP 20th Congress

By Hung Tran

For the first time since becoming President, Joe Biden met face-to-face with Secretary General Xi Jinping on November 14, 2022, at the outset of the G20 Summit in Bali, Indonesia. Against the backdrop of rising tensions between the two countries, the United States hoped it would “put a floor under the relationship.” But the recent […]

China Economy & Business

Econographics

Nov 17, 2022

Global Sanctions Dashboard: What’s coming in 2023?

By Charles Lichfield, Maia Nikoladze, and Castellum.AI

Fall sanctions against Russia and Iran; implications of US semiconductor export controls against China; projected sanctions trends in 2023.

China Economic Sanctions

Econographics

Nov 11, 2022

The target of limiting global warming to less than 1.5 degrees is practically dead. Why do emissions per capita matter?

By Amin Mohseni-Cheraghlou

Achieving the target to limit global warming to below 2, preferably 1.5 degrees Celsius, by the end of the century seems more unfeasible than ever. The reason is simple. The most critical of greenhouse gases have continuously risen in the past decade and CO2 emissions are only expected to grow more in 2022 and for the foreseeable future. COP27 needs to pave the path for a renewed international cooperative and enforceable framework to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions by the world’s top emitters both in absolute terms and in per capita terms.

Climate Change & Climate Action Economy & Business

Econographics

Nov 8, 2022

What US outbound investment screening means for Transatlantic relations

By Elmar Hellendoorn

Whether the EU follows through with new outbound investment controls and what those might look like will also depend on the evolution of American national security policy and transatlantic diplomacy.

China Economy & Business

Econographics

Oct 31, 2022

The global infrastructure financing gap: Where sovereign wealth funds and pension funds can play a role

By Amin Mohseni-Cheraghlou and Naomi Aladekoba

Having more than $65 trillion in assets, institutional investors such as SWFs and pension funds are uniquely positioned to bridge low-income economies’ infrastructure financing gap in the coming decades. The Bretton Woods Institutions (BWI) can encourage investment in developing countries’ infrastructure through providing various guarantee and insurance mechanisms, thereby reducing risk for private investors.

Economy & Business Inclusive Growth

EconoGraphics

Oct 28, 2022

How the US compares to the world on unionization

By Jeff Goldstein

Explore how US unionization rates compare to other economies and what that means for US labor markets going forward.

Economy & Business Future of Work

EconoGraphics

Oct 24, 2022

Dual circulation in China: A progress report

By Hung Tran

Faced with a challenging international environment and hostile efforts by the United States to restrict China’s access to high technology and its products, China has adopted a dual circulation strategy to make its economy more balanced and resilient. Dual circulation means reducing the role of foreign trade in driving the Chinese economy while improving the quality of trade.

China Economy & Business

Econographics

Oct 12, 2022

Companies on the front line: Trends in overseas Chinese listings

By Maia Nikoladze

Delisting more than 150 Chinese companies is a bigger hit than Chinese private sector can take at this time. However, we don’t yet know whether Beijing will follow through on its side of the audit-sharing deal. 

China Economy & Business

Econographics

Sep 8, 2022

Global Sanctions Dashboard: Sanctioning soars across the board

By Charles Lichfield, Maia Nikoladze, and Castellum.AI

Iran nuclear deal negotiations; Russia’s domestic sanctions against terrorism and extremism; Latin America drug trafficking sanctions.

Economic Sanctions Europe & Eurasia
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Content

EconoGraphics

Dec 12, 2016

Refer-Ending Renzi’s Government

By Filippos Letsas

On December 4, Italian voters rejected former Prime Minister Renzi’s constitutional reform referendum. The result of the referendum renewed concerns about the economic recovery in Italy, stability of the Euro, broader European economic integration, and rising populism across Europe. In the week following the referendum, global markets have focused their attention on the ailing Italian banking sector.

Economy & Business Europe & Eurasia

EconoGraphics

Nov 29, 2016

The United States Needs China and Vice-Versa

By Filippos Letsas

Over the last decade, China’s large holdings of US debt have helped the Bank of China keep the value of the renminbi artificially low. This strengthened China’s competitive position in the global markets, allowing for cheaper Chinese exports and contributed significantly to China’s large trade surplus, which now accounts for about half of the total US trade deficit.

China Economy & Business

EconoGraphics

Oct 25, 2016

CETA: Why “Comprehensive” Matters

By Filippos Letsas

On October 14th, the regional parliament of Wallonia, a French-speaking region of 3.6 million people in Belgium, voted to block the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), a proposed trade agreement between the European Union (EU) and Canada, which has been negotiated for over 7 years.

Economy & Business European Union

EconoGraphics

Oct 7, 2016

Europe′s Fiscal Burden in Focus

By Filippos Letsas

The European Union’s (EU) Stability and Growth Pact requires Eurozone countries to annually lay out their fiscal plans for the following three years. The European Commission (EC) then compares the member states’ reports with its own projections and those produced by independent bodies, such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF), to evaluate whether the member states are on track to reach their Medium-Term Budgetary Objectives (MTOs).

Economy & Business European Union

EconoGraphics

Sep 30, 2016

Myanmar: Post-Sanctions Landscape

By Filippos Letsas

On the occasion of Myanmar’s State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi’s recent visit to the United States (U.S.), President Obama announced that executive sanctions on Myanmar would soon be lifted. This will grant Myanmar greater access to the U.S. market and encourage U.S. companies to invest in the country. Trade between the two countries remains at relatively low levels (i.e. $225 million in 2015), with U.S. investment to Myanmar accounting for only 0.2% of the country’s Foreign Direct Investment (FDI).

Economic Sanctions Economy & Business

EconoGraphics

Sep 13, 2016

TTIP = So (Ger)Many Benefits

By Filippos Letsas

As the most export-driven major economy in the European Union (EU), Germany stands to benefit greatly from a robust Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) agreement.

Economy & Business European Union

EconoGraphics

Jul 12, 2016

Taking Stock of European Banks: Improvements Amid Challenges

By Nathaniel Rome

Since the British referendum, Europe’s banking sector has come under renewed scrutiny from financial markets as well as European Union officials and finance ministers. A primary focus is on Italy - which has accumulated $400 billion in gross bad loans - and the EU-Italy talks about how to recapitalize the weak Italian banks.

Economy & Business European Union

EconoGraphics

Jun 29, 2016

Econographics – TTIP

By Nathaniel Rome

The United Kingdom’s (UK) vote last week to leave the European Union (EU) has raised questions about the future of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). TTIP is a trade agreement currently being negotiated by the United States (US) and the EU that will eliminate tariffs, reduce red tape, and set a new standard for international trade agreements. Following the Brexit vote, US Trade Representative Michael Froman and European Commissioner for Trade Cecilia Malmström released statements reaffirming their commitment to TTIP.

Economy & Business European Union

Bremain vs Brexit

Jun 21, 2016

London Riches Falling Down

By Nathaniel Rome

London is the undisputed financial capital of Europe, and is rivaled only by New York City for the top spot worldwide (Global Financial Centers Index). When competing on a level playing field, London outperforms other major European financial centers because of the superior human capital, infrastructure, and regulatory environment of the city. London dominates 78 percent of European FOREX trading and generates a trade surplus worth tens of billions of pounds (UK Office of National Statistics).

Economy & Business European Union

Bremain vs Brexit

Jun 9, 2016

Britannia, Rule the Trade!

By Nathaniel Rome & TK Spandhla

The decades following World War II experienced an explosion of global trade. The annual growth rate of global exports averaged 8 percent in the 1950s, 9 percent in the 1960s, and 20 percent in the 1970s (World Trade Organization). During this boom of global trade, the volume of UK exports grew in absolute terms. However, up until the mid-1970s, the UK trade growth lagged behind the global average.

Economy & Business European Union
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