International Monetary Fund

Some economists say that a country’s exports can determine its economic fate. But William Maloney rejects the idea that exports play such a critical role. He says it’s not what you export, but how you do it.

With a gradually improving outlook for the global economy, growth in sub-Saharan Africa is set to strengthen to 5.5%, according to the IMF's latest forecast for the region. But growth patterns vary within the region.

Grâce à l'amélioration progressive des perspectives économiques mondiales, le taux de croissance devrait atteindre 5,5 % en Afrique subsaharienne, selon les dernières prévisions du FMI. Mais ce chiffre masque des disparités au sein de la région.

In recent years, commodity prices have been riding high, and many commodity dependent countries have benefited from these high prices. But this boon is unlikely to last forever: prices may fall, and nations can run out of key commodities.

When a country shifts from being largely based on agrarian economy, to being based on services, or industry, it is said to have undergone structural change. This was the basis of economic development in many Asian countries. Harvard's Dani Rodrik explains why structural change is so critical to development.

Although global growth is expected to reach 3.3% this year, and 4% in 2014, the health of the world's economy is mixed. Olivier Blanchard, Chief Economist at the IMF explains that although the worst is behind us, policymakers still can't afford to relax.

Bien qu'une croissance mondiale de 3,3 % soit prévue cette année, et de 4 % en 2014, la santé de l'économie mondiale est mitigée. Blanchard, économiste en chef au FMI, explique que, si nous avons passé le pire, les dirigeants ne peuvent toujours pas se permettre de relâcher leur effort.

Dans le processus de développement, les pays subissent des changements structurels. Autrement dit, leurs priorités économiques évoluent d'un secteur à l'autre. Ils diversifient leurs produits

In the last two decades, many low-income countries have experienced economic take off. But in the 60s and 70s, many of these same countries already boasted robust economic performances, until it all came to an abrupt stop. Can low-income countries keep on growing, this time?

When you want to get a better job or achieve personal development, you might choose to increase your skills. This might mean learning something new, or acquiring more education. It's the same with countries, if they want to climb up the ladder of development, they need to develop their capacity, or "capabilities," says top economist Ricardo Hausmann.

تأخرت بلدان منطقة الشرق الأوسط وشمال إفريقيا عن اللحاق بركب اقتصادات الأسواق الصاعدة والبلدان النامية في مجالي النمو الاقتصادي والتجارة على مدار العقدين الماضيين، ولم تكن التجارة في هذه البلدان بمثابة المحرك القوي للنمو مقارنة بالبلدان الأخرى. تركز مقالة في عدد مجلة التمويل والتنمية لصندوق النقد الدولي على هذه المستويات المنخفضة في التجارة في المنطقة. ويوضح الخبير الاقتصادي "أمين ماتي" كيف يمكن توسيع نطاق النمو في المنطقة.

In many countries, governments often subsidize the energy sector keeping the price of power lower than it might otherwise be. The aim is to protect the poor by keeping prices low. But, a new study by the International Monetary Fund suggests that these subsidies don't always have the desired effect.

The euro area may be the world's largest and most well-known regional currency union, but the Eastern Caribbean Economic and Currency Union is an interesting microcosm of its larger European counterpart. The two could learn lessons from each other, suggests an IMF economist.

The 1944 Bretton Woods conference laid the foundations of the modern international monetary system, but little was known about the exact proceedings of that historic gathering, until now. A U.S. treasury economist's discovery of the original transcript of that meeting provides an insight into the characters and the intense debate surrounding the birth of two major international organizations.

Fiscal policy—or the way a government taxes, spends and borrows money—can have a huge impact on reducing inequality. But according to a recent IMF study, that impact has been shrinking over the past decade, as governments scale back social benefits, and make income taxes less progressive.