After contracting 4.1 percent in 2020, economic activity in Brazil increased substantially in 2021. Vaccination has accelerated, and the adult population is likely to be covered in late 2021. A sluggish labor market rebound, coupled with high unemployment and low participation rates will likely...

The country benefited from the improved external demand in 2017. Global growth is estimated to have picked up in 2017 to 3.0 percent from 2.4 percent in 2016, reflecting gradual recovery in the euro area, China, emerging Europe, and Russia as commodity prices and financial markets continued to...

COVID-19 (coronavirus) has taken a heavy economic and human toll globally and in Indonesia. According to official statistics, over 3.8 million people have died from COVID as of May 2021. The global economy experienced one of the most severe recessions, shrinking by 3.5 percent in 2020 compared...

After several months of low COVID-19 case numbers, Malawi is facing a fourth wave. While an increasing share of the global population is protected by vaccines, only about 6.5 percent of the population is vaccinated in Malawi, increasing the country's vulnerability to the virus. The Government...

A sharp global growth slowdown and concerns about an impending global recession are weighing on commodity prices. Some energy prices remain elevated, however, amid geopolitical tensions and persistent supply disruptions. Brent crude oil prices are forecast to average $92/bbl in 2023 and ease to...

The Treasury Reference Model (TRM) gives guidelines for the design of automated treasury systems for government aiming at a) authorities within government and their advisors who are engaged in planning and implementing such systems; and b) software designers and suppliers from the private sector...

Private participation in infrastructure has taken two distinct forms in the developing world. The first model, applied primarily in Latin America, focuses on privatization of existing infrastructure assets. The second, applied largely in East Asia, focuses on retaining existing assets in the...

Indonesia has been successful in navigating the macroeconomic fallout from asynchronous global shocks. Gross domestic product (GDP) growth remains strong though the economy is yet to fully recover to its pre-pandemic trajectory. This is consistent with labor market trends, which show a recovery...

Global growth is projected to be slightly faster in 2020 than the post-crisis low registered last year. While growth could be stronger if reduced trade tensions lead to a sustained reduction in uncertainty, the balance of risks to the outlook is to the downside. Growth in emerging market and...