We are off track to end poverty. Despite remarkable progress over the past few decades, the goal of eradicating poverty remains elusive, and SDG1: End poverty in all its forms everywhere is out of reach. While more than a billion people have been lifted out of poverty, the pace has significantly slowed. If we persist with business-as-usual, by 2030 around 7% of the world’s population will still live in extreme poverty—more than double our target of 3%.

The climate stabilization imperative emerging from the Paris Agreement is, in so many ways, absolutely critical to securing the planet’s future for all. The Agreement necessitates a transition away from fossil fuel-based economic production, particularly the use of coal as a source of energy. In 2021, coal constituted 36% of global primary energy supply, while accounting for 40.3% of global CO2 emissions.  

In 2024, central banks worldwide are confronted with the challenges of juggling inflation control, economic growth, and the preservation of financial stability. A new report from the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA) outlines many of the dangers the economy faces, and offers some solutions—particularly for...

‘What makes UNU-WIDER a unique place for researchers is the sense of community and the combination of academic rigour, policy relevance, and position within the UN system’  — Amelia Santos-Paulino, UNU-WIDER Alumni

The pathways to economic development are changing. Environmental sustainability is no longer a choice but a necessity to maintain a competitive edge in the global economy. Just like in nature, where survival hinges on adaptation, this publication shows how nations...

Journal | World Development

Political clientelism—which reflects strategic, discretionary, and targeted exchange of private goods and services for political support to the incumbent—has characterised distributive politics in the Global South for decades. The conditional nature of exchange between political parties and voters, and the asymmetric balance of power...

Journal | Scientific Data

Journal | Comparative Economic Studies

ARTICLE ON EARLY VIEW | This study investigates the effects of taxation on income inequality in an unbalanced panel of 45 countries in sub-Saharan Africa over the period 1980–2018. We use two-stage least squares and the instrumental variables quantile regression estimates. 

Journal | World Development

This study presents an empirical framework that explores the relationship between poverty reduction and changes in the production structure of developing countries. We use the new GGDC-UNU-WIDER Economic Transformation Database to measure productivity growth within sectors and the reallocation of workers across sectors for 42 developing countries from 1990–2018. 

Journal | World Development

UNU-WIDER requests research proposals for The political economy of taxation project. This project is part of the Domestic Revenue Mobilization (DRM) programme and supported by the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad). Proposals for original research that speaks to the core themes of this project and offers strong empirical or theoretical contributions will be considered. Submission deadline: 30 July 2024.