VoxDev Articles
VoxDev articles feature development economics research that has been reviewed by our expert Editorial Board. All of our articles use accessible language, and focus on key takeaways and policy implications.
Most Popular Articles in 2025
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The ‘missing intercept’ problem with going from micro to macro
Many applied microeconomics papers conclude with a back-of-the-envelope calculation that scales their cross-sectional estimates to the aggregate level. These types of aggregate estimates are only valid under very strong assumptions due to the ‘missin...
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Electronic waste is a silent killer in West Africa
Evidence from Ghana and Nigeria shows that e-waste dumping is causing a health crisis, claiming the lives of newborns and infants living nearby.
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What broad lessons have we learned from 115 studies on unconditional cash transfers?
A meta-analysis of 115 studies shows that unconditional cash transfers have positive impacts on a range of key economic and social outcomes, including consumption, income, labour supply, and child health and education. Around 700 million people curre...
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When layoffs backfire: The hidden productivity cost
After a Bangladesh factory fired workers following labour unrest, survivors who lost friends quietly cut output and quality to punish management.
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How rebel governance helped build an inclusive democracy in Nepal
Parallel governance institutions built by Maoist rebels during Nepal's civil war led to lasting improvements in political participation among historically excluded groups, more representative candidate selection across parties, and greater local gove...
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Can voting out leaders improve local service delivery?
Local elections have the potential to disrupt the ‘business-as-usual’ culture that often settles in bureaucracies. Evidence from village elections in Indonesia shows that changes in leadership improve information flows between citizens and the state,...
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The state of play in development economics research
What do we know about the methods, funders and focus of development economics research?
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Bridging the gap for women in export-led growth
Exporting factories in India employ more women and pay smaller gender wage gaps than non-exporters, but these gains erode as capital intensity rises – because women lack access to the technical skills that technology-intensive production demands.
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Does school financial education shape real-world behaviour?
A long-run study tracking students nine years after a school financial education programme finds lasting reductions in expensive credit use, improved loan repayment, and a shift towards entrepreneurship. This suggests that well-designed curricula can...
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Can AI-powered mental health apps meaningfully improve wellbeing?
Evidence from a randomised evaluation in Mexico shows that an AI-powered mental health app can improve mental health, daily functioning, and labour market outcomes, while also helping users experiencing more severe psychological distress engage with ...
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The future of microfinance in Bangladesh
Traditional microcredit rarely transforms the economic lives of the poor in Bangladesh, but targeted product innovations – including flexible repayment schedules, enterprise-focused loans, and digital disbursement – show meaningful gains for borrower...
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Does disclosing eligibility criteria discourage participation?
A field experiment in Colombia found that disclosing the identity-based criteria used to select students for a free training programme reduced enrolment, suggesting that how targeted invitations are framed shapes whether intended beneficiaries actual...