Can growth in Africa be sustained?

Over the last few years, African economies have been some of the fastest-growing in the world. But significant doubts remain: why aren’t the proceeds of growth doing more to help those at the bottom of the pile? And in any case, is the boom sustainable? An important report from the Ac

Video: Prof. Werner Baer on prospects for Brazil

Professor Werner Baer of the University of Illinois is one of the leading international experts on the Brazilian economy. His classic book The Brazilian Economy is now in its 7th edition and he’s studied Brazil for decades. We’re lucky enough to have Prof. Baer onboard with the

Brazil: a role model for development?

The following article by IRIBA research directors Professor Armando Barrientos and Dr Ed Amann was recently featured in The Guardian:   Brazil isn’t getting the best press at the moment, with ongoing problems with the construction of the World Cup stadiums and protests abou

Giving money to the poor

With growing interest in social protection programmes in many developing countries, some worry that transferring money directly to the poor will reduce their incentive to seek paid work. The evidence from Brazil suggests this isn’t the case. From 2003-2009, while the increase in non-w

What’s so interesting about Brazil’s development?

Reading the headlines in the British media recently, you could be forgiven for thinking that Brazil has rapidly become a basket case. According to some commentators the economy is bust, protests are out of control and the World Cup is doomed to failure – so can Brazil’s example really