Latin America and the Caribbean is undergoing a transformative shift in digital payments. Between 2019 and 2023, the average number of electronic transactions in the region grew threefold. This surge in the way in which transactions are made in the region coincides with a strong preference for digital payment methods. According to the Inter-American Development Bank's landmark … [Read more...] about Beyond Cash: The Digital Payments Revolution in Latin America and the Caribbean
Microeconomics and Competitiveness
Financial Literacy for the Digital Age
In today’s rapidly evolving and technologically complex financial landscape, financial literacy is no longer a luxury. As digital platforms reshape how individuals save, spend, borrow, and invest, the ability to understand and manage personal finances has become a core life skill. Financial literacy empowers individuals to make informed decisions. It helps avoid costly mistakes … [Read more...] about Financial Literacy for the Digital Age
How Air Pollution Affects High- and Low-Income Workers Differently
Can workers avoid the damaging effects of high levels of air pollution? The answer, it appears, is overwhelmingly linked to socio-economic status. Our recent study looks at how workers adjust their daily labor supply in response to increased concentrations of fine particulate matter known at PM 2.5, which originates, among other sources, from gasoline- and diesel-powered … [Read more...] about How Air Pollution Affects High- and Low-Income Workers Differently
Measuring Air Quality Better in Developing Countries
Low and middle-income countries are home to about 80% of the people in the world exposed to dangerous levels of air pollution, with its numerous deleterious effects, including disease and mortality and diminished cognitive performance, labor supply and productivity. Yet those countries often lack the resources to accurately measure air pollution and determine how policies might … [Read more...] about Measuring Air Quality Better in Developing Countries
Inclusive Health Care in Latin America and the Caribbean: A Necessary Revolution
Over the last two decades, all countries in Latin America and the Caribbean have ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), committing themselves (in Article 25) to ensure the right without discrimination to health care for people with disabilities. Many countries in the region have also passed national laws reinforcing that … [Read more...] about Inclusive Health Care in Latin America and the Caribbean: A Necessary Revolution