Featured analysis

Not The Time to Falter: Economic Sanctions Against Russia

EconoGraphics Apr 17, 2025

Russia Sanctions Database: November 2024

By Kimberly Donovan, Maia Nikoladze

The Atlantic Council’s Russia Sanctions Database tracks the restrictive economic measures Western allies have placed on Russia and evaluates whether these measures are successful in achieving the stated objectives.
China East Asia
Not The Time to Falter: Economic Sanctions Against Russia

Econographics Mar 14, 2025

What is strategic about the new digital assets reserve?

By JP Schnapper-Casteras

To many on Wall Street and Main Street, this executive order on a strategic bitcoin reserve may still seem more like political maneuvering than sober monetary policy.
Digital Currencies Digital Policy
Not The Time to Falter: Economic Sanctions Against Russia

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

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

Econographics

Mar 12, 2024

Stalled growth in the UK, Germany, and Japan darken global economic outlook

By Josh Lipsky, Alisha Chhangani

The world’s two largest economies won’t be able to generate enough growth for the UK, Germany, and Japan—it is going to have to happen from within.

Economy & Business Fiscal and Structural Reform

Econographics

Mar 8, 2024

How banking regulations affect US foreign policy

By Charles Lichfield

Economics, finance, and national security overlap. Obvious areas include sanctions and trade policy. But US foreign policymaker are now also expected to develop some knowledge of critical minerals . Banking regulations may seem a step too far, but they too carry foreign policy implications.

Economy & Business Europe & Eurasia

Econographics

Mar 7, 2024

Unpacking China’s 2024 growth target and economic agenda

By Hung Tran

At the opening of China’s National People’s Congress (NPC) Premier Li Quang delivered his first Government Work Report, setting the key economic and social policies and targets for this year.

China Economy & Business

Econographics

Mar 1, 2024

Climate, drought, and the disrupted future of global trade

By Amin Mohseni-Cheraghlou, Sophia Busch

Climate change threatens the efficient functioning of waterways, canals, and seaports—and therefore is a major threat to global trade.

Climate Change & Climate Action Economy & Business
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Content

EconoGraphics

Jun 1, 2016

Not The Time to Falter: Economic Sanctions Against Russia

By Alvaro Morales Salto Weis

As the European Union (EU) prepares to unanimously extend its economic sanctions on Russia when they expire on July, it is a good opportunity to take a closer look. After Russia´s illegal annexation of Crimea and interference in Eastern Ukraine, the U.S. and the EU enacted economic sanctions in a coordinated manner, which were followed by other Allies and partners like Canada and Australia.

Economic Sanctions Economy & Business

EconoGraphics

Apr 13, 2016

Europe’s Path to Budget Equilibrium

By Alvaro Morales Salto Weis & TK Spandhla

The European Union’s 28 member nations are required by Stability and Growth Pact to keep their budget deficits to within 3 percent of GDP. According to the European Commission forecast (as of winter 2016) six countries will exceed this level in 2016: the U.K., France, Spain, Greece, Croatia and Portugal. Romania will post a deficit at the threshold. This is an improvement from 2009 and 2010, when no fewer than 22 EU countries overstepped the deficit limit.

Economy & Business European Union

EconoGraphics

Apr 1, 2016

The European Refugee Surge: Transforming Challenges into Opportunities

By Alvaro Morales Salto Weis & TK Spandhla

Asylum applications to the European Union (EU) set an all-time record in 2015, more than doubling the 2014 figure, according to EUROSTAT. After the recent agreement between Turkey and the EU, the influx of refugees is expected to decrease significantly.

Afghanistan Europe & Eurasia

Bremain vs Brexit

Mar 24, 2016

A Costly Goodbye

By Alvaro Morales Salto Weis & TK Spandhla

On June 23, British citizens will decide on a referendum whether the UK stays or leaves the EU. The consequences of a vote to leave, or Brexit, could decide the UK’s place in the world for generations.

Economy & Business European Union

EconoGraphics

Mar 24, 2016

The French Way of Reforms

By Alvaro Morales Salto Weis & TK Spandhla

France’s economy has struggled to grow in recent years, expanding by a mere 1.1% in 2015. Meanwhile its unemployment rate has stubbornly lingered around 10%, with a slight upwards trend.

Economy & Business Fiscal and Structural Reform

EconoGraphics

Mar 14, 2016

A Tale of Two QE’s

By Alvaro Morales Salto Weis & TK Spandhla

On March 10, the European Central Bank (ECB) announced an expansion of its Quantitative Easing Program (QE), increasing the amount of government bonds it buys monthly from €60 billion to €80 billion. It also extended the range of assets it purchases to include investment grade non-bank corporate bonds. On top of that, the ECB lowered already negative deposit interest rates further down, to -0.4%, and its main interest rate to 0%. So, why have Central Banks embraced QE?

Economy & Business European Union

EconoGraphics

Mar 4, 2016

TTIP: Window of Opportunity is Closing

By Alvaro Morales Salto Weis & TK Spandhla

The 12th round of negotiations for the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) concluded last week in Brussels on an optimistic tone. The Chief Negotiator for the EU announced significant advances in most negotiating areas, including on the Investor-State-Dispute Settlement (ISD), which had been frozen for months. His US counterpart expressed confidence in reaching an ambitious deal in the second half of the year, rejecting calls for a “TTIP lite”.

Economy & Business European Union

EconoGraphics

Feb 25, 2016

TTIP: Cutting the Red Tape

By Global Business and Economics

The 12th round of negotiations for the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) unfolded this week in Brussels between the EU and their American counterparts. At a time when both parties are stuck with weak growth (and persistent high unemployment in Europe), the importance of TTIP cannot be understated.

Economy & Business European Union

EconoGraphics

Feb 23, 2016

Tug of Budget War in Brussles

By Global Business and Economics

In the past weeks, the Portuguese government and EU authorities have engaged in a tug of war over the Portuguese budget proposal for 2016. The European Commission (EC) warned the newly elected anti-austerity government that it risked “serious non-compliance” with the EU’s fiscal rules. Finally, Lisbon narrowly avoided becoming the first Eurozone country to have its budget rejected by Brussels, as it agreed to additional tax hikes and spending cuts.

Economy & Business European Union

EconoGraphics

Feb 16, 2016

Dreaming Big: Size Matters

By Global Business and Economics

Why are Google, Apple or Facebook American-born but not European? Concerns about Europe’s lack of innovative start-ups prompted the European Commission (EC) to launch the Entrepreneurship 2020 Action Plan, aimed at bolstering entrepreneurship culture.

Economy & Business Europe & Eurasia
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