Trade Trends Estimates Latin America and The Caribbean. 2026 Edition: Q1 Update
Jun 2026
Author(s): Giordano, Paolo;Michalczewsky, Kathia
This report provides estimates of Latin America and the Caribbeans international trade flows for 2025 and the first quarter of 2026. The data it contains was prepared by the Productivity, Trade, and…
Towards High-Performing Health Systems
Jun 2026
Author(s): Schwarzbauer Pinel, Karla Esthela;Bernal, Pedro;Sánchez-Monin, Emmanuelle;Aguilar, Ana Mylena ;Bauhoff, Sebastian;Iriarte, Emma
In September 2025, the Inter-American Development Bank convened the Regional Policy Dialogue “Towards High-Performing Health Systems” in Medellín, bringing together more than 110 participants from 22…
The World of Public Employment Services 2026: Delivering in a Changing World of Work
Jun 2026
Author(s): Inter-American Development Bank;World Association of Public Employment Services;Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development
This publication provides comparative insights on public employment services around the world based on a global survey. Building on its first installment, the 2026 edition provides novel and updated…
Learning about Inflation and Exchange Rates: Beliefs and Consumer Behavior in a Small Open Economy
Jun 2026 Generative AI enabled
Author(s): Beuermann, Diether;Bottan, Nicolas L.;Hoffmann, Bridget;Khadan, Jeetendra;Vera-Cossio, Diego A.
We study how expert forecasts about inflation and nominal exchange rates affect households inflation perceptions, exchange rate beliefs, and later durable-goods holdings in a small open economy.…
How to Build an Open-Source Program Office
Jun 2026
Author(s): Emendabili, Julia Vieira De Andrade Dias;Rodriguez Paredes, Elizabeth Jesenia;Bates Flores, David Obrien;Sandoval Hernandez, Carlos Alberto;Sanchez Romero, Luis Antonio;Muente, Arturo
Open-source refers to software whose source code is publicly available for use, modification, and redistribution. Open-source software (OSS) has increasingly positioned itself as a powerful lever to…
A Turning Point for Suriname’s Development. Investing Today, Transforming Tomorrow: Unlocking Human Capital as the Engine for Growth
Jun 2026
Author(s): Arias Ortiz, Elena;Tolis, Marisol
Suriname is at a turning point in its development trajectory, with education and skills positioned at the center of a more sustainable, inclusive, and diversified path for growth. In this context,…
The Anatomy of Household Shocks in Latin America: Evidence from Panel Surveys
Jun 2026 Generative AI enabled
Author(s): Arteaga Vallejo, Julian Gabriel;Bosch, Mariano;Ibáñez, Ana María;Tejerina, Luis
Households in developing economies face frequent and uninsured shocks that generate income volatility and persistent vulnerability. Using harmonized longitudinal data from household surveys in…
"We did the best we could with what we had": A Qualitative Study of the Pandemic Vaccine Response in Belize
Jun 2026 Generative AI enabled
Author(s): Góngora, Pamela;Cabieses Valdes, Baltica Beatriz;Bonilla Zarrazaga, Lidia;Espinoza, Manuel Antonio;Largaespada Beer, Natalia;Bell, Lizett S.;Balmaceda, Carlos
The COVID-19 pandemic had an unprecedented global impact, making the rapid development of vaccines critical. Belize, a small, middle-income country in Central America and the Caribbean, displayed…
Multinational Enterprises and Employment in Mexico
Jun 2026 Generative AI enabled
Author(s): Filippo, Agustín;Guaipatín, Carlos;Navarro, Lucas;Willington, Ignacio;Wyss, Federico
This paper examines the employment effects of multinational enterprises (MNEs) in Mexico, focusing on the labor market impacts of foreign tariff increases during 2018-2019. Using data from Mexicos…
Natural Disasters and Fiscal Procyclicality
Jun 2026 Generative AI enabled
Author(s): Andrian, Leandro Gaston;Galindo, Arturo;Sánchez, Gustavo;Valencia, Oscar
This paper examines how climate-related natural disasters influence the cyclical stance of fiscal policy across 148 countries between 1980 and 2023. Using a dynamic panel System-GMM framework, we…
Effective Families or Effective Schools? Experimental Evidence on Fostering Children’s Numeracy
May 2026 Generative AI enabled
Author(s): Berlinski, Samuel;Giannola, Michele;Toppeta, Alessandro
We study the relative effectiveness, cost-effectiveness, and interaction of family- and school-based learning interventions using a randomized controlled trial in Colombia that assigns children to a…
Assessment of the Effects and Impacts of Hurricane Melissa in Jamaica
May 2026
Author(s): Bello, Omar;Hori, Tsuneki;Johnson, Monique Therese Marie;Suarez, Ginés
Hurricane Melissa caused unprecedented devastation in Jamaica, with total estimated costs exceeding JMD 1,451,577 millionover three times the expense of Hurricane Gilbert, the country's previous…
The Battle over Knowledge: Multinationals, Diffusion, and Governance
May 2026 Generative AI enabled
Author(s): Alfaro, Laura;Chen, Maggie;Javorcik, Beata S.
Multinational corporations (MNCs) are the dominant institutions for creating and distributing knowledge across borders. Their activities generate geopolitical externalities when cross-border…
Reaching the Hardest to Reach: Lessons Learned from a Feasibility Trial to Assess Online Services for Low-Income, Intimate Partner Violence Survivors in Brazil
May 2026
Author(s): Díaz del Valle, Emiliano;Pileggi, Isabella;Mellow, Daniel;Blanco, Joaquín
Digital platforms are increasingly proposed to reach survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV) in low- and middle-income countries, yet few feasibility data exist. We assessed the viability of…
Caribbean Economics Quarterly: Volume 16, Issue 1: The Price of Power: How the Caribbean Can Build a More Secure Energy System
May 2026
Author(s): Mercer-Blackman, Valerie;Mooney, Henry;Aiello, Roberto Gabriel;Graham, Monique;Saboin, José Luis;Mazzocca, Angelo;Hernaiz, Daniel;Mitchell, Travis Klaus;Hussain, Lisa;Gauto, Victor;Ivey, Wendel Garfield;Castilleja Vargas, Liliana;Suliman, Naiema;Okey, Onoh-Obasi;Satnarine-Singh, Nirvana
For countries around the world, regardless of size or income level, access to reliable, low-cost electricity is among the most important drivers of growth and prosperity. This edition of the…
Development and Use of Artificial Intelligence in Latin America and the Caribbean
May 2026 Generative AI enabled
Author(s): Farca, Alberto;Jalife Villalón, Salma;Martínezgarza, Ricardo;Puig Gabarró, Pau;Iglesias Rodriguez, Enrique
This report presents findings from a regional study on the infrastructure required to enable the development and use of artificial intelligence (AI) across Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), with…
Nowcasting Real GDP Growth in The Bahamas
May 2026 Generative AI enabled
Author(s): Saboin, José Luis;Guerrero, Diego;Mazzocca, Angelo
This paper introduces a novel real GDP growth nowcasting strategy based on a distribution of nowcast values derived from a large dataset and multiple variable combinations, specifications and…
Seeds of Transformation: How Strategic Investments Can Create Lasting Development Impact
May 2026
Author(s): Restrepo Duarte, Daniella
This publication brings together a collection of impact stories that demonstrate how the PSG, has catalyzed broader change across Latin America and the Caribbean. By strategically investing in…
National-Level Costs of Implementing 30x30 in Latin America and the Caribbean: Meeting Countries Biodiversity Goals
May 2026 Generative AI enabled
Author(s): Waldron, Anthony;Guiet, Jerome;Heneghan, Ryan;Watson, Gregory;Arriaga Cinta, Frida Beatriz
This study estimates the national-level costs of implementing Target 3 of the Kunming Montreal GBF (“30x30”) in 26 Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) countries. Using scenario-based modeling, it…
Supporting Firms in the Digital Age: The Case of Investment Promotion
May 2026 Generative AI enabled
Author(s): Volpe Martincus, Christian;Sztajerowska, Monika
Public agencies that support firms operate today amid a difficult combination of challenges. Geopolitical realignment, supply-chain reconfiguration, and rising market volatility have raised the value…