Panel data for 63 countries in 1960-97 reveal no robust relationship between the development of financial intermediaries and the volatility of growth. Beck, Lundberg, and Majnoni extend the recent literature on the link between financial development and economic volatility by focusing on the...

The youth unemployment rate is exceptionally high in the developing world. Because quality of education is arguably one of the most important determinants of youth’s labor force participation, governments worldwide have responded by creating job training and placement services programs....

In Food and Agriculture in Ethiopia: Progress and Policy Challenges, Paul Dorosh and Shahidur Rashid, along with other experts, tell the story of Ethiopia's political, economic, and agricultural transformation. The book is designed to provide empirical evidence to shed light on the complexities...

Informal settlements are an integral part of the urban landscape in developing countries. These settlements are widely distributed within cities, including central business centers and peripheral areas with environment hazards. In most cases, residents of these settlements do not have access to...

The availability and quality of basic public services are important determinants of urban quality of life. In many cities, rapid population growth and fiscal constraints are limiting the extent to which urban governments can keep up with increasing demand for these services. It therefore becomes...

This paper performs an ex-post cost-benefit analysis (CBA) of the Metro system in Stockholm built in the 1950s. We find that the Metro was socially beneficial and that the largest benefit of the Metro is its capacity, making it possible for many people to travel to and from the city center. We...

Middle childhood (approximately 6-12 years old) is a crucial time for developing cognitive and socio emotional competencies, and economic crises can affect children's development with long-lasting consequences for adolescence and adulthood. This note provides an overview of how economic shocks...

Adolescence is a demanding and critical period in life. Failure to meet certain developmental milestones can have serious short- and long-term implications for the individual and society at large. This note provides an overview of how economic shocks can affect adolescent development, and how...