This report builds on the work in the 2013 Board paper on Fund Engagement with Small States, the 2013 background papers on Asian and Pacific small states and Caribbean small states, and the 2014 staff guidance note. It provides a deeper analysis and policy recommendations in respect of three...

Small developing states are disproportionately vulnerable to natural disasters. On average, the annual cost of disasters for small states is nearly 2 percent of GDP-more than four times that for larger countries. This reflects a higher frequency of disasters, adjusted for land area, as well as...

This paper presents background on Caribbean small states as context for the main paper, 'Macroeconomic Issues in Small States and Implications for Fund Engagement.' It draws on recent analytical work presented at a conference for policy makers in September 2012, in Trinidad and Tobago. Caribbean...

The small states of the Asia and Pacific region face unique challenges in raising their growth potential and living standards. These countries are particularly vulnerable because of their small populations, geographical isolation and dispersion, narrow export and production bases, lack of...

The Fund, as Trustee of the Poverty Reduction and Growth Trust (PRGT or Trust), has entered into new borrowing agreements with the National Bank of Belgium (Belgium) and the Swiss National Bank (Switzerland), effective on August 30, 2017. These new borrowing agreements with Belgium and...

This Selected Issues paper attempts to quantify the impact of the demographic shift on growth and public finances in Switzerland. It examines the intertemporal consistency between current policy plans and unfunded liabilities, focusing primarily on social security, and explores policy options....

This paper focuses on the observance of standards and codes on fiscal transparency for Switzerland. The assessment reveals that the fiscal role of the executive and legislative branches of government, and the legal framework for the management of federal public finances, are clearly defined. The...

This technical note presents an update to the Financial System Stability Assessment (FSSA) on Switzerland. It reveals that current domestic macroeconomic and financial sector conditions are favorable, and the main downside risks to the financial sector are external. Stress tests confirm the...

For the past quarter century, Switzerland’s real per capita growth rate has been substantially slower than in most other industrial countries. Unemployment has declined rapidly to 2.4 percent of the labor force in November 1999 from its 1997 peak of more than 5 percent. Inflation has edged up...

This Article IV Consultation reports that Switzerland’s exchange rate floor, seen as credible by the markets, has halted appreciation and helped shore up the economy. Once growth recovers and inflation reaches more comfortable levels, maintaining the exchange rate commitment risks stoking...