In recent decades, dozens of countries around the world have adopted cash transfer programs to combat poverty and prevent it from being passed from generation to generation. While many of these programs have been highly successful at tackling long-term poverty, incomes fluctuate due to economic shocks and the target population of social programs move. During economic crises, … [Read more...] about New Tools for Targeting Social Programs in the Midst of Crises
A New Miracle? The Promises of Digitalization and Financial Inclusion in Latin America
Latin America and the Caribbean has made a big leap towards using digital technologies to expand financial inclusion, and there are reasons to be hopeful: Several initiatives in the region have expanded the supply of innovative digital financial products which, in theory, should untap inclusive growth by enabling millions of micro and small firms and households to integrate … [Read more...] about A New Miracle? The Promises of Digitalization and Financial Inclusion in Latin America
Five Lessons on Strengthening Social Protection from Three Years of Research at the IDB’s Research Department
The events of the past three years have put low- and middle-income countries in Latin America and the Caribbean in a bind. They need to ensure that their citizens can recover from the devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. But they also need to do it in the most cost-effective way so that public coffers are not drained. With this dilemma in mind, IDB researchers and … [Read more...] about Five Lessons on Strengthening Social Protection from Three Years of Research at the IDB’s Research Department
Can Cash Transfers to Non-Poor Households Prevent Poverty?
Over the past five years, social protection has expanded dramatically around the world. In 2020, one in six people globally received government transfers. This expansion in coverage, particularly in upper- and middle-income countries, has produced a new set of beneficiaries: vulnerable, non-poor households. Scaling up the coverage of social protection programs has the … [Read more...] about Can Cash Transfers to Non-Poor Households Prevent Poverty?
When Insurance for Small Businesses Provides Broad Social Gains
Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, various studies have examined how large domestic and multinational firms respond to economic shocks, including health-related ones. But there has been less focus on how family-operated micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) modify their business decisions when faced with such disruptions. Similarly, relatively little … [Read more...] about When Insurance for Small Businesses Provides Broad Social Gains