The paper examines opportunities for deeper economic integration between the EU and the Western Balkans and assesses their potential economic impact. It documents key non-tariff barriers to Western ...

We look at the effects of debt and primary fiscal balances on sovereign credit ratings through the lens of a simple model. We find that the ratings differ from the implications of the model in three ...

The Lebanese authorities have managed to maintain a measure of macroeconomic stability despite the exceptionally difficult circumstances and the heavy toll that the Hezbollah-Israel conflict and ...

This paper examines the effect of alternative digital lending—defined as digital credit provision by non‑bank financial intermediaries (NBFIs)—on bank and systemic risk taking and competition. The ...

Paraguay’s financial system is bank dominated and currently liquid, profitable, and well capitalized. Credit growth has been strong in recent years—outpacing regional peers—in the context of robust ...

The energy shock emanating from the war in the Middle East is weighing on the Marshall Islands’ economic activity and adding to existing cost-of-living pressures through higher fuel and electricity ...

Today, most major advanced economies have public debt paths that call for fiscal policy attention. All of us are aware that U.S., French, and Japanese 10‑year sovereign yields, to highlight just three ...

The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) concluded the 2026 Article IV Consultation with Samoa. The authorities have consented to the publication of the Staff Report prepared for ...

End-of-Mission press releases include statements of IMF staff teams that convey preliminary findings after a visit to a country. The views expressed in this statement are those of the IMF staff and do ...

Disasters pose macro critical fiscal risks to Pakistan, with average annual losses from floods estimated at about 1 percent ...

The right choice between subsidies, vouchers, or in-kind distribution can help countries save precious resources ...

Europe once led the world in productivity growth but now lags the United States —and the gap has widened significantly in recent years. The Chart of the Week shows that behind this shortfall is the ...