Why are so many women in Africa converting to Christianity?
The persistence of patriarchal clan-based orders around the world is a serious hindrance to development not least because they constrain women’s emancipation. Drawing on varied empirical evidence from sub-Saharan Africa, we argue that women’s convers...
Institutions & Political Economy
Pablo Álvarez-Aragón Catherine Guirkinger Jean-Philippe Platteau
Published
12.06.26

When microfinance credit contracted in India, children’s education suffered
In Andhra Pradesh, credit contraction in the rural economy, triggered by microfinance regulation, lowered educational investments and caused lasting learning losses, with larger effects for girls and younger children.
Education
Muneer Kalliyil Soham Sahoo
Published
11.06.26

When an entire country loses access to fertiliser: Evidence from Sri Lanka's import ban
A model of trade and agriculture applied to Sri Lanka’s 2021 chemical fertiliser import ban shows how costly fertiliser shortages can be. However, the model also shows why local field-experiment estimates of fertiliser’s effect on crop yield can exag...
Trade
Devaki Ghose Eduardo Fraga Ana Fernandes
Published
04.06.26

Decentralising development: The economic effects of government splits
When Brazil let neglected districts break away and form new municipalities, peripheral areas gained services, jobs, and growth at no visible cost to the rest of the country.
Institutions & Political Economy
Ricardo Dahis Christiane Szerman
Published
03.06.26

How violence against journalists reshapes the profession – and what gets reported
In Mexico, violence against journalists reduces media activity in the months following an attack and, in the long run, reshapes the profession towards younger and less-established reporters – with lasting implications for local government transparenc...
Institutions & Political Economy
José A. Jurado Juan S. Morales
Published
01.06.26

Agricultural patronage: How large landholders shape politics in the Brazilian Amazon
In the Brazilian Amazon, large landholders strategically donate to local politicians, who promote agriculture in return – with negative environmental consequences.
Agriculture
Erik Katovich Fanny Moffette
Published
21.05.26

When development reduces women's employment
Increasing women’s labour force participation and career progression is a key priority for policymakers in developing and developed economies alike. A central question is whether economic development and rising incomes naturally lead to greater femal...
Trade
Quynh Huynh Hyejin Ku
Published
13.05.26

How violence reshapes Mexico’s workforce
Rising homicide rates in Mexico have left aggregate employment largely unchanged – but beneath this apparent stability, violence is reshaping who works and where, holding back the labour market and undermining productivity.
Labour Markets
Lorenzo Aldeco Matteo Ghilardi Hugo Tuesta
Published
08.05.26

The hidden toll of COVID-19 on India’s infants
Mortality among infants significant increased during the first nationwide COVID-19 lockdown in India, not because infants were infected, but because the pandemic disrupted healthcare access, worsened economic conditions, and discouraged mothers from ...
Health
Erdal Asker Shatakshee Dhongde Abu S. Shonchoy
Published
07.05.26