Middle East & North Africa Economics Weekly Egypt privatisations, Saudi tourism, Lebanon re-pegs Egypt’s privatisation drive appears to be stepping up a gear in 2023 with plans to sell stakes in twenty companies which, if these materialise, will boost long-term economic prospects. But it remains... 2nd February 2023 · 7 mins read
Emerging Europe Economics Update The economic risks of Israel’s new government Concerns over democratic backsliding and an escalation of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict associated with Israel’s new far-right government won’t necessarily mean that foreign investment into Israel... 1st February 2023 · 3 mins read
India Economics Update Finance Ministry strikes a delicate balance Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman appears to have successfully demonstrated her long-term commitment of reining in the fiscal deficit while still providing support to the economy in today’s FY23/24... 1st February 2023 · 3 mins read
Emerging Europe Economics Weekly Russia’s shrinking surplus, Israel’s political risks The focus in the media this week on Russia’s record current account surplus in 2022 misses the huge deterioration in that surplus at the end of the year. We think the balance of payments will be... 20th January 2023 · 7 mins read
Europe Economics Weekly Recession postponed or even cancelled We suspect that the resilience of the economy in late-2022 was due to the combination of lower energy prices, increased government support and easing supply problems in industry, while the drag from... 20th January 2023 · 8 mins read
Latin America Economics Weekly Brazil’s riots, Peru turmoil, Mexico’s USMCA win Brazil’s financial markets have recovered after an initial drop following the riots in Brasília last Sunday, but we think there are reasons for caution. This is all coming at a time when the economy... 13th January 2023 · 5 mins read
Africa Economics Weekly South Africa’s ruling party policies stuck in old ways At a key policy conference, South Africa’s ruling party officials offered little by way of new ideas to address the country’s mounting economic challenges. And some fresh proposals risk making matters... 13th January 2023 · 7 mins read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Weekly What do the latest falls in the EGP mean for Egypt? The Egyptian pound has pared its losses after sharp falls against the dollar on Wednesday in a sign that, just like 2016, the currency may have overshot. The central bank may sense an opportunity to... 12th January 2023 · 7 mins read
Africa Economics Update Runners and riders in Nigeria’s upcoming elections In the first instalment of our Election Watch series ahead of the late-February polls in Nigeria, we assess the economic policies proposed by key candidates. The elections offer a chance to depart... 12th January 2023 · 7 mins read
China Economics Update A faster-than-expected turnaround We had expected disruption from China’s reopening wave of COVID infections to weigh heavily on activity well into Q1. But there is mounting evidence that much of China’s population has already been... 12th January 2023 · 7 mins read
Emerging Markets Economics Update A look ahead to EM elections in 2023 In this Update, we take a look at the key elections that are scheduled across the emerging world this year. The most notable ones are in Argentina, Nigeria and Turkey, where opposition victories could... 10th January 2023 · 4 mins read
UK Economics Update Shift to a bigger state won’t curtail GDP growth While the shift towards higher taxes and spending after the pandemic appears to be here to stay, there is little to suggest an expanded state would curtail GDP growth. But without supply-side reforms... 10th January 2023 · 5 mins read
Latin America Economics Update First thoughts on the riots in Brasília The implications of the invasion of Brazil’s congress by protestors yesterday are mainly political. But the riots could result in a long-lasting risk premium on the country’s financial assets... 9th January 2023 · 3 mins read
Latin America Economics Weekly Lula’s first presidential (mis)steps, Colombian inflation The first speeches and actions by Brazil’s president Lula after his inauguration earlier this week reinforce our view that his presidential term will be characterised by higher public spending and a... 6th January 2023 · 5 mins read
China Economics Weekly Already past the worst? New COVID infections across much of China may already be dropping back just as quickly as they surged only a month ago. Shops and streets are getting busier. A full return to normality is probably... 6th January 2023 · 7 mins read
China Chart Pack Three years on It is three years since a cluster of cases of severe pneumonia started to draw attention in Wuhan. Chart 1 maps economic developments in China since then. The blue bars show cumulative growth since... 4th January 2023 · 12 mins read
