The COVID-19 pandemic has inflicted one the largest and most intricate economic disruptions in modern history. Latin America and the Caribbean, with 8% of the world's population but more than 25% of its deaths, was particularly hard hit, and unfortunately, the war against the virus is far from over. Even before the health crisis subsides, however, much work needs to be done. … [Read more...] about Productivity Growth at the Sectoral Level and the Road to Recovery from COVID-19
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The Unique and Essential Mission of Multilateral Research Departments
"What keeps you up at night?" That was a question posed to a gathering of leaders from government institutions around Latin America and the Caribbean some 25 years ago. In asking that question, the Research Department at the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) laid down a mission that it has zealously pursued ever since. It's not just asking government leaders what worries … [Read more...] about The Unique and Essential Mission of Multilateral Research Departments
Moving Towards Growth and Greater Inclusion in One of the World’s Most Unequal Regions
By Julián Messina, Norbert Schady, and Joana Silva Meager economic growth and high inequality are the twin curses of Latin America. But inclusive growth that fights those curses by encompassing everyone, including marginalized and vulnerable populations, is possible. It just requires the right policies. We know, of course, that this is easier said than done. Economic … [Read more...] about Moving Towards Growth and Greater Inclusion in One of the World’s Most Unequal Regions
What Can Restore Latin Americans’ Faith in Democracy
Four decades ago, people in Latin America cheered as one after another dictatorship fell and gave way to democratic systems, with free elections, uncensored expression, and increasingly independent institutions. That transition, a part of the third wave of democratization, transformed Latin America and the Caribbean from a place of oppressive military regimes into the most … [Read more...] about What Can Restore Latin Americans’ Faith in Democracy
Putting Latin America and the Caribbean’s 2019 Growth Prospects in Perspective
The outlook for the global economy has shifted from a situation of healthy, broad-based growth across the larger economic blocks to a more nuanced view of growth perspectives, with substantial risks clouding the horizons. Considering the 12 months from 2017 Q3 to 2018 Q3, growth in the United States was 3% but many suggest that this relatively high rate will fade through 2019 … [Read more...] about Putting Latin America and the Caribbean’s 2019 Growth Prospects in Perspective