Evidence from developing countries suggests that, while firms do react to both monetary policy contraction and expansion, they do not do so symmetrically. Read today's article to learn more:

Evidence from India suggests that women tend to wake earlier and eat later than men, leading to reduced sleep, leisure, and social time – which worsens physical and mental health outcomes. Read today's article to learn more:

This week we featured research on saving lives, paying taxes, building roads and more! Read a summary of this work here: voxdev.org/topic/week-d...

Ethiopia’s large-scale road expansion cut travel times to markets – boosting farm productivity, reshaping cropping patterns, and accelerating structural change. Read today's article to learn more:

🆕 How interdisciplinary research is enriching development economics No discipline has a monopoly on high-quality, policy-relevant research. I've highlighted some examples of interdisciplinary research that I enjoyed reading on @voxdev.bsky.social: voxdev.org/topic/how-in...

While the adoption of improved fertiliser boosted agricultural productivity among rice farmers in Nigeria, the effects on tree canopy cover depended on the local landscape. Read today's article to learn more:

The implementation of an electronic medical records (EMR) system in Malawi’s HIV clinics has saved thousands of lives by improving clinic efficiency. Read today's article to learn more:

This week we featured research on bias, culture, labour policy, geoeconomics and more... Read a summary of this work here: voxdev.org/topic/week-d...

In Brazil, labour policy aims to support the most vulnerable workers, yet actual labour practice disproportionately supports the skilled workforce in adjusting to technological change – those workers already poised to benefit from advances in digital technologies. Read today's article to learn more

📢 Our new VoxDevLit on Organised Crime is out now! Senior Editors @santiagotobon.bsky.social & Micaela Sviatschi @princetonecon.bsky.social review research on the roots & development impacts of organised crime. Read & download here: voxdev.org/voxdevlit/or...

I had the pleasure of speaking with @davidjlynch.bsky.social about his new book "The World’s Worst Bet" (currently #1 on Amazon for Globalization!) We spoke about the disproportionate impacts of globalization, economic development, and AI. Listen here: open.substack.com/pub/thedevel...

🆕 Culture and economic development 📢 Today on VoxDevTalks, Natalie Bau (UCLA), @saralowes.bsky.social (@ucsandiego.bsky.social) & @eduardomontero.bsky.social (Harris School of Public Policy) discuss how culture shapes economic policy and, consequently, development: voxdev.org/topic/instit...

Analysis of over five million criminal cases in India finds no in-group bias in acquittal decisions based on shared religion, gender, or caste – contrasting with patterns documented in other countries. Read today's article to learn more:

New evidence from Indonesia suggests that ride-hailing services significantly improve MRT systems’ ability to attract customers by boosting first/last-mile connectivity. Read today's article to learn more:

International tensions and external wars are on the rise, with major economic implications. To study these, economists should bridge the divide between two fields: research on conflict and geoeconomics. Read today's article to learn more:

Want to stay updated with development economics on the go? Follow our new WhatsApp channel to get daily updates on new articles, podcasts, living literature reviews, events and more! 🔔 www.whatsapp.com/channel/0029...

With bold reforms and sustained global backing, fragile and conflict-affected economies could harness untapped resources and demographic potential to drive lasting, inclusive development.

A core challenge in development economics is generalising country-specific findings across diverse contexts. Can a data-driven classification of conflict types help bridge the gap between deep case knowledge and broader comparative insight?

This week we featured research on conflict and development, foundational learning and more... Read a summary of this work here: voxdev.org/topic/week-d...

What does research tell us about the causes and consequences of polygyny? And are researchers asking the right questions? thedevelopingeconomist.substack.com/p/the-econom...

🆕 Conflict and development 📢 Today on VoxDevTalks, @dominic-rohner.bsky.social (@gvagrad.bsky.social) & Oliver Vanden Eynde (@pse.bsky.social) discuss what we have learned from research on conflict and the key questions that remain unanswered: voxdev.org/topic/instit...

Evidence shows that public policies – ranging from education and therapy to social protection, aid, and refugee support – can reduce violence by reshaping incentives, though effectiveness in fragile contexts remains uncertain. Read today's article to learn more:

Inclusive institutions are key to sustaining peace – shaping incentives, deterring violence, and preventing cycles of fragility. Read today's article to learn more:

Cuts to global education funding will forgo at least $100 billion in lifetime earnings. Supporting national governments to leverage domestic financing to improve foundational learning should be a priority for the development assistance that remains ⤵️

Starting econometrics? @emaansiddique.bsky.social & I compiled a bunch of examples from development economics research for an introduction to econometrics course. Check out how researchers are using the technical methods you see in class here: voxdev.org/topic/exampl...

Back to teaching or studying economics at university this September? @voxdev.bsky.social has tons of useful resources for university economics courses - I have included some examples in this thread. 1/n

Armed conflict exacerbates gender inequality, but women are not just victims – they are also agents of change. Read today's article to learn more:

Many poor, ethnically divided societies are caught in an ‘ethnic growth trap’, where conflict, low public investment, and political economy dynamics reinforce each other, hindering development. Read today's article w/ @saumjha.bsky.social to learn more:

This week we featured research on India's dying firms, global capital flows, mental health and more... Read a summary of this work here: voxdev.org/topic/week-d...

Digital connectivity boosts export participation in developed countries by lowering trade costs for a wide range of firms, but in developing regions it disproportionately benefits only the most productive exporters. Read today's article to learn more:

High institutional and regulatory barriers make it unusually costly for manufacturing firms to exit in India – discouraging entry, keeping inefficient firms afloat, and lowering productivity. Read today's article to learn more:

Research on Ghana found that providing low-income adults with small, regular mobile communication credits significantly reduced mental distress and domestic violence during COVID-19. Read today's article to learn more:

🆕 Food policy: Lessons and priorities for a changing world 📢 Today on VoxDevTalks, @jo-swinnen.bsky.social & Purnima Menon (@ifpri.org @cgiar.org) review the last 50 years of research on food policy – and what it means for the future of food (in)security: voxdev.org/topic/health...

📢 Organised crime is not a marginal security issue — it is a core development challenge. At our VoxDevLit launch event (Sept 11), Santiago Tobon & Maria Micaela Sviatschi will summarise research on the roots & development impacts of organised crime. Register ➡️ cepr-org.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

During the COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico, heightened uncertainty made banks more risk-averse, leading to tightened credit conditions, despite their relatively strong fundamentals Read today's article to learn more:

International capital flows can boost global growth and reduce inequality, but numerous geopolitical barriers distort where investment goes – often away from developing countries where it is most productive. Read today's article to learn more:

This week we featured research on internal migration, long-run development, middlemen and more... Read a summary of this work here: voxdev.org/topic/week-d...

A three-day training programme to improve hairdressers’ active listening skills did not improve women’s mental health in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, and in fact worsened mental health outcomes for providers. Read today's article to learn more:

What is development economics? I find it more and more difficult to define what development economics actually is. So, for this @voxdev.bsky.social blog, I asked development economists how they define development economics: voxdev.org/topic/what-d...

Implementation of the EITI led to sustained improvements in tax revenue in resource-rich developing countries, particularly as countries progressed from commitment to full EITI compliance. Read today's article to learn more:

Internal migration of agricultural workers in India leads to a downsizing of farms near cities and an expansion in remote areas, prompting a spatial reorganisation of agriculture. Read today's article to learn more:

A government-led, state-wide programme in India (the SHE Pad Scheme) which provided free sanitary pads in schools significantly reduced dropout rates among adolescent girls, primarily by increasing school attendance. Read today's article to learn more:

Higher education played a key role in Southeast Asia’s long-run development – much earlier than most policy accounts and research suggest. Read today's article to learn more:

Can one student’s experience influence the educational decisions of those that follow? Evidence from admissions to elite schools in Peru shows how policies that make success stories visible can have multiplier effects. Read today's article to learn more:

Vietnam’s Special Economic Zones are not just attracting investment—they are creating better, more formal jobs, with women in rural areas benefiting most. Read today's article to learn more:

Evidence from Latin America and the Caribbean suggests that skin tone is a powerful predictor of intergenerational mobility. Read today's article to learn more w/ @billywoom.bsky.social:

This week we featured research on voting rights, climate politics, emergency aid, and more... Read a summary of this work here: voxdev.org/topic/week-d...

Indonesia’s Special Economic Zone programme had minimal impact on regional growth and welfare, largely because it targeted remote, low-potential areas and relied solely on tax incentives. Read today's article to learn more:

New evidence from Ethiopia reveals an unintended consequence of road construction: a sharp rise in infant deaths along key trade routes—which is potentially the result of hazardous waste dumping near roads. Read today's article to learn more:

Voting rights alone did not transform political participation or competition in India, but they did shift government priorities in favour of the newly enfranchised voters. Read today's article to learn more: