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80 Development Economics Research Topics

FacebookXEmailWhatsAppRedditPinterestLinkedInIf you are a student seeking compelling research topics in Development Economics, you have come to the right place. Embarking on the exciting journey of selecting a research topic for your undergraduate, master’s, or doctoral thesis in Development Economics? The world of research offers a vast landscape of possibilities, and finding suitable research topics can […]

If you are a student seeking compelling research topics in Development Economics, you have come to the right place. Embarking on the exciting journey of selecting a research topic for your undergraduate, master’s, or doctoral thesis in Development Economics? The world of research offers a vast landscape of possibilities, and finding suitable research topics can be both exhilarating and challenging. Development Economics, a field that investigates the economic aspects of the development process in societies, is brimming with opportunities for exploration and discovery. In this blog post, we’ll delve into a treasure trove of research topics, and you’ll find inspiration for your unique study. Whether you’re passionate about alleviating poverty, exploring the dynamics of international trade, or unraveling the intricacies of economic growth, we’ve got you covered. So, let’s dive into the fascinating world of Development Economics research topics and uncover the perfect one for your academic journey.

Development Economics, often interchangeably referred to as “economic development research topics,” or “studies on development economics,” focuses on understanding the economic aspects of the development process in countries and regions.

A List Of Potential Research Topics In Development Economics:

Analyzing the role of social entrepreneurship in community development.
Assessing the part of foreign aid in promoting economic development in low-income countries.
Evaluating the impact of foreign debt on financial stability in Latin America.
Examining the effects of access to clean water and sanitation on human development.
Investigating the gender wage gap and its implications for economic growth.
Analyzing the role of digitalization in facilitating economic recovery in post-COVID-19 developing countries.
Analyzing the impact of Brexit on UK trade relationships and its implications for development partnerships with developing nations.
Exploring the impact of climate change on agricultural productivity in developing nations.
Examining the effectiveness of conditional cash transfer programs in improving child nutrition.
Assessing the effectiveness of entrepreneurship training for women in rural areas.
Assessing the effectiveness of conditional cash transfer programs in improving human capital outcomes in developing nations.
Assessing the impact of climate change policies in the UK on global sustainable development efforts.
Examining the impact of trade tariffs on export-oriented industries.
Investigating the relationship between entrepreneurship and economic development.
Assessing the economic consequences of natural disasters in vulnerable regions.
Investigating the role of foreign direct investment in the UK’s economic engagement with developing nations.
Investigating the effects of remittance-financed entrepreneurship on job creation.
Exploring the relationship between economic diversification and resilience.
Investigating the long-term effects of pandemic-induced school closures on educational outcomes in developing nations.
Assessing the role of technology adoption in promoting economic growth in Africa.
Assessing the effectiveness of land reform policies in promoting equitable land distribution.
Analyzing the consequences of the UK’s post-Brexit trade agreements on developing nations’ economies.
Investigating the role of UK-based multinational corporations in shaping economic development in their host countries.
Evaluating the impact of COVID-19 on income inequality and poverty in developing economies.
Assessing the effectiveness of conditional cash transfers in improving school attendance.
Exploring the relationship between healthcare infrastructure and pandemic preparedness in developing nations.
Assessing the impact of gender-based violence on women’s economic empowerment.
Analyzing the role of social capital in community development.
Examining the challenges and opportunities of integrating smallholder farmers into global value chains for economic development.
A critical review of foreign aid’s impact on recipient countries’ governance and institutions.
Analyzing the determinants of child labor in developing countries.
Assessing the role of informal labor markets in developing economies.
Analyzing the role of infrastructure development in promoting economic growth and poverty reduction.
Examining the economic consequences of forced displacement and refugee crises.
Examining the link between health outcomes and economic development.
The role of foreign aid in economic development: A perspective from development economics and monetary economics.
Investigating the economic implications of youth unemployment.
Evaluating the effects of financial inclusion on household savings and investment.
Evaluating the effectiveness of public-private partnerships in delivering essential services in low-income countries.
Evaluating the relationship between infrastructure development and economic growth.
Assessing the role of foreign aid and international cooperation in supporting developing countries during health crises.
Investigating the impact of trade liberalization on income distribution and poverty reduction in developing economies.
Investigating the impact of trade imbalances on economic stability.
Examining the economic implications of income taxation in developing countries.
Assessing the effectiveness of UK-led international development initiatives in addressing global poverty and inequality.
Exploring the effects of trade liberalization on income distribution in emerging economies.
Examining the trade-offs between UK immigration policies and their effects on labor markets in developing countries.
Exploring the relationship between natural resource extraction and economic development.
Investigating the effects of access to healthcare on labor force participation.
Evaluating the effectiveness of poverty alleviation programs in urban slums.
Evaluating the role of social entrepreneurship in addressing environmental challenges in developing nations.
Assessing the effectiveness of agricultural subsidies in promoting food security.
Analyzing the role of microfranchising in creating sustainable livelihoods.
Exploring the effects of labor migration on sending and receiving countries.
Evaluating the effectiveness of UK development aid programs in achieving sustainable development goals in partner countries.
Examining the role of microenterprise development in poverty reduction.
Investigating the impact of foreign exchange rate volatility on trade flows.
Exploring the relationship between financial literacy and household economic well-being.
Evaluating the role of community-based tourism in local economic development.
Investigating the impact of remittances on household welfare in the context of a global pandemic.
Evaluating the impact of Brexit on the UK’s economic engagement in African markets and its implications for development.
Analyzing the impact of trade policy uncertainty on foreign direct investment.
Exploring the relationship between foreign aid and governance in fragile states.
Analyzing the effectiveness of vocational training programs in enhancing employment opportunities.
Evaluating the effectiveness of microinsurance in mitigating income shocks.
Institutional quality and its impact on economic growth in the context of development and institutional economics .
Evaluating the role of regional integration in promoting economic growth.
Investigating the effects of corruption on economic development in South Asia.
Evaluating the relationship between agricultural productivity and rural development.
Examining the role of remittances in reducing poverty in migrant-sending countries.
Exploring the role of social protection programs in reducing income inequality.
Examining the effectiveness of social safety nets in mitigating economic vulnerabilities during and after the COVID-19 crisis.
Examining the impact of land tenure systems on agricultural productivity.
Exploring the economic consequences of urbanization in developing countries.
Assessing the resilience of informal labor markets in the face of economic shocks: Evidence from post-COVID-19 developing economies.
A comprehensive review of the role of migration and remittances in shaping economic development outcomes in sending and receiving countries.
Analyzing the relationship between education and income inequality in developing nations.
A comprehensive review of the evolution and impact of microfinance in development economics.
Investigating the relationship between natural resource management and sustainable development in resource-rich developing countries.
Analyzing the effects of population growth on economic development.

In conclusion, selecting the right Development Economics research topic for your thesis or dissertation is crucial in your academic journey. We’ve provided you with diverse topics suitable for undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral levels. Whether you’re interested in investigating the impact of foreign aid on developing countries, examining the role of institutions in economic development, or exploring the nuances of income inequality, there’s a research topic waiting for you. Remember, your research will contribute to the Development Economics field and provide valuable insights that can shape policies and improve lives worldwide. So, choose your topic, and embark on your research adventure with enthusiasm and determination!

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What’s the Latest Research in Development Economics? A Roundup from NEUDC 2021

Recommended.

Last weekend was the North East Universities Development Consortium annual conference . Researchers—mostly economists—presented nearly 200 papers on topics from agriculture to COVID to marriage to microfinance. It’s a great introduction to a wide range of current development economics research.

As a crash course for you (and for us), we’ve produced a brief takeaway from each paper. Of course, these are our takeaways, and yours may differ. If you’re interested in the topic, we encourage you to read the papers . Some of the papers present preliminary results, so you may want to take a look before—you know—redesigning your monetary policy based on our tweet-sized summary. Finally, we made a judgment call about where to place papers: for example, does a study on the impact of a health intervention on education outcomes go under health or education? So you may as well just read the whole post.

The evidence comes from all over the world, as you can see in Figure 1 below. (We’ve sorted the papers by topic below, you can also find all the papers sorted by country .) By far, the most studies come from India (35 studies!), Brazil (18), China (14), Mexico (11). Relative to the same conference last year , India holds a similar position relative to Brazil and Mexico, but China is much more represented.

In terms of research methods, the most commonly used approach was fixed effects estimation (49 studies), followed by randomized controlled trials (42), difference-in-differences (29), regression discontinuity (21), and instrumental variables (19) (Figure 2).

Figure 2. What methods do studies use?

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Source: This chart draws on a sample of 185 studies from the NEUDC 2021 conference. Some studies used more than one method.

Without further ado, here are 185 paper microsummaries! For most papers, we indicate the methodology. If you had a different takeaway from a paper, share your thoughts in the comments!

Guide to the methodological hashtags

#DID = Difference-in-differences #FE = Fixed effects #IV = Instrumental variables #LIF = Lab in the field #PSM = Propensity score matching #RCT = Randomized controlled trial #RD = Regression discontinuity

Households and human capital

Education and early childhood development.

A large-scale home visiting intervention in Bangladesh was integrated into the national nutrition program. While service providers partly substituted away from nutrition counseling and towards early childhood development counseling, both cognitive and nutritional outcomes improved. ( Bos et al. ) #FE

Scheduling the school calendar such that exams fall during harvest season inflated dropouts among rural youth by between 6.5 and 8.4 percent in Bangladesh. ( Ito and Shonchoy ) #DID

Livestock insurance for pastoral communities in northern Kenya and southern Ethiopia decreased children's work and increased their schooling. ( Son ) #RCT

An after-school curriculum to strengthen teenagers' character in three countries of Central America reduced misbehavior at school. ( Dinarte, Egana-delSol, and Martinez A. ) #RCT

Poorer college applicants in China are less strategic in their college priority ranking, potentially exacerbating educational inequality. ( Wang, Wang, and Ye )

Providing students starting their senior year of high school in Argentina with information on their chances of graduating (given their current academic performance) increases timely graduation, especially for the worst performing students. ( Lopez ) #RCT

In areas of Mexico with more manufacturing jobs, conditional cash transfers had less of a positive impact on education, particularly for youth old enough to work in the factories. ( Molina and Vidiella-Martin ) #RCT

A voucher reform that increased government subsidies for disadvantaged students in Chile actually resulted in increased fees for those students at private schools. ( Cañedo-Riedel and Sánchez )

In Nepal, government expenditures on a year of primary or secondary school are roughly equal to the average increased taxes that someone with an additional year of schooling later pays (i.e., the fiscal externality). For tertiary education, the gains outweigh the costs. ( Bleakley and Gupta )

Cash grants to public school councils in rural Pakistan increased learning in both public and private schools. ( Andrabi et al. ) #RCT

Attending a high-quality public “model” school in India boosts test scores in math, science, and social science. ( Kumar ) #RD

Free after-school tutoring to primary school students in rural Bangladesh boosts test scores of their peers. Targeting tutoring to students who are more socially central leads to bigger effects. ( Islam et al.) #RCT

“Over-the-phone mentoring and homeschooling support delivered by volunteers” in Bangladesh “improved the learning outcomes of treated children by 0.75 SD and increased homeschooling involvement of treated mothers by 0.64 SD.” ( Hassan et al. ) #RCT

When men in Colombia “just miss the cutoff to enroll in their” preferred university major, they’re likely to retake the exam. Women, on the other hand, are more likely to “enroll in a less preferred major” right away. This difference can explain “about half of the gender-earnings gap among college-educated workers in Colombia.” ( Franco and Hawkins ) #RD

“An extra friend aspiring to go to college [in Brazil] increases the likelihood that the average student will also aspire to it by 11.39 percent.” ( Gagete-Miranda ) #IV

Affirmative action for undergraduate law studies in Brazil more than doubled the chance that beneficiaries went on to become certified lawyers and employed, with no apparent negative impacts on outcomes for "applicants displaced by the policy." ( Ribeiro and Estevan ) #RD

When the proportion of low-income students at a Colombian university tripled, the social networks of wealthy students changed, but only a little. ( Velasco ) #DID

State-sponsored education in 19th-century France led to most people speaking the same language, with persistent impacts on national identity and preferences for political centralization. ( Blanc and Kubo ) #RD

“Providing a free lunch to all students leads to improvements in academic achievement on average” in South Korea. ( Kim ) #DID

Automated, “interactive phone calls intended to encourage parents of first-graders in Kenya to read at home with their children” increased oral reading fluency by between 1.5-2 words per minute over 5 weeks. ( Esposito and Sautmann ) #RCT

Children in rural India attended school less when their families faced greater risk to their incomes, but the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGA) may offset those impacts. ( Foster and Gehrke ) #FE

The introduction of mobile broadband internet had no impact on children's test scores in Brazil. ( Bessone, Dahis, and Ho )

Individuals growing up in parts of the United States with more robots “are more likely to have a Bachelor’s degree and tend to major in subjects where the prevalence of routine-related occupations is lower.” ( Carrillo and Iglesias ) #DID

A one standard deviation (SD) increase in temperature during exams in Brazil decreases the average exam score by 0.036 SD. The higher the stakes, the smaller the effects because exam takers exert more effort. ( Melo and Suzuki ) #FE

Public schools in Chile appoint more effective principals after increasing competitiveness and transparency of their selection process. ( Muñoz and Prem ) #DID

A bicycle can transform a girl’s life: in Zambia, bicycle provision reduced average commuting time to school by 35 percent, late arrival by 66 percent, and decreased absenteeism by 27 percent. It also had positive effects on grade transition, math test scores, girls’ self-reported feelings of control over their lives and, “for those who received bicycles with a small cost to her family, higher levels of aspirations, self-image, and a desire to delay marriage and pregnancy.” ( Fiala et al. ) #RCT

In Somalia, female role models impact boys’ and girls’ attitudes on gender equality but not students’ aspirations to attend colleges. ( Kipchumba et al. ) #RCT

An experiment in boarding schools in Peru showed that similarity increases the likelihood of friendships and proximity fosters more diverse friendships. ( Gitmez and Zárate ) #FE

COVID-19 lockdowns in Bangladesh led to more chores for girls, and job loss among parents increased the likelihood of "marriage-related discussions" for daughters. ( Makino, Shonchoy, and Wahhaj )

The Ugandan COVID-19 "lockdown, one of Africa’s strictest, impacted female workers more severely than male workers by disproportionately reducing their employment rate, shifting them to economic sectors in which they are less productive, and widening the gender pay gap." ( Alfonsi, Namubiru, and Spaziani )

On a COVID-19 mutual aid platform in Indonesia, donors are more likely to give a donation when given a smaller choice set of potential beneficiaries, and they prefer to donate to self-reported breadwinners and females. ( Hilmy, Lim, and Riyanto ) #FE

Phone calls and SMS messages to parents, encouraging them to support their children while schools were closed for COVID, increased learning in Botswana. ( Angrist, Bergman, and Matsheng ) #RCT

“A sizeable one-time-only emergency cash transfer ($526 PPP) targeted at self-employed, sub-employed, and informal sector workers [in Mexico] during the COVID-19 pandemic” increased mental health and food security but did not increase individuals’ likelihood of staying home or otherwise supporting public health policies. ( Cañedo, Fabregas, and Gupta ) #RD

Rural pensions in China boosted child weight, "largely driven by grandfathers’ pension receipt on grandsons." ( Yang and Chen ) #FE

"Living in a household experiencing food insecurity is associated with lower levels of psychological well-being" in Lebanon. ( Alloush and Bloem ) #IV

A nutritional support program in Ethiopia boosted beneficiaries' emotional state and stability, although labor productivity remained unaffected. ( Park and Kim ) #LIF

Girls receiving the Child Support Grant in South Africa were less likely to be underweight and also less likely to be obese. ( Sen and Villa ) #RD

Inequality between households within the same community is an important driver of inequality in women and children’s nutritional status. Sanitation infrastructure and health facility quality in South Asia matter for nutritional outcomes—but wealthier women can travel to receive better care. ( Brown et al. ) #FE

Health (including mental health)

Among Rohingya refugees living in Bangladesh, providing counseling, psychological education, and play activities for children reduced depression, increased happiness, and boosted child development. ( Islam et al. ) #RCT

Exposure to arsenic-contaminated water is bad for children's health, but in India, it's especially bad for younger sisters, potentially because of pre-existing malnutrition. ( Aggarwal and Barua ) #IV

Pharmacotherapy for adults in India increases investment in their children's education. ( Angelucci and Bennett ) #RCT

Encouraging smokers in rural Bangladesh to record their tobacco expenditures led them to buy cheaper, smokeless tobacco. Showing graphic posters of the effects of tobacco reduced expenditure for more educated smokers. ( Fakir and Bharati ) #RCT

“Within a government health insurance program that entitles 46 million poor individuals to free hospital care in Rajasthan, India … females account for only 33% of hospital visits among children and 43% among the elderly…. In the presence of gender bias, increasing access to and subsidizing social services may increase levels of female utilization but fail to address gender inequalities without actions that specifically target females.” ( Dupas and Jain )

Among “maternity care workers in primary health clinics in Nigeria… both rewards and penalties increase time on task by 11 percent, overall performance by six-to-eight percent, and directly incentivized performance by twenty percent.” Performance on tasks without incentives also improved. ( Bauhoff and Kandpal ) #RCT

“The current vaccination completion rate is low in states [of India] where forced sterilization was high” in the 1970s. “Places more exposed to forced sterilization in 1976-77 have higher child mortality today.” ( Sur ) #IV

How do drug procurement processes affect price, delivery, and shipment time? Across 100+ countries, “pooling internationally is most effective for small buyers and more concentrated markets, and pooling within-country is most effective for large buyers and less concentrated markets.” ( Wang and Zahur ) #IV

Hand-hygiene ‘edutainment’ within popular dramas in Bangladesh improved handwashing and child health. ( Hussam et al. ) #RCT

Evidence from 140 countries show that “epidemic exposure in an individual’s “impressionable years” (ages 18 to 25) has a persistent negative effect on confidence in political institutions and leaders, and on the public health system.” ( Eichengreen, Saka, and Aksoy ) #FE

Fertility and family planning

Providing vouchers in rural India for women to seek subsidized family planning services, either just for themselves or for them and their friends, boosted use of modern contraceptive methods. ( Anukriti, Herrera-Almanza, and Karra ) #RCT

A comprehensive family planning package in urban Malawi ("counseling, free transport to a clinic, and financial reimbursement for family planning services" over two years) decreased stunting by about 7 percent. Cognitive development also rose. ( Maggio, Karra, and Canning ) #RCT

A family planning campaign in Burkina Faso increased contraceptive use by 5.9 percentage points and births fell by 10 percent. ( Glennerster, Murray, and Pouliquen ) #RCT

In Brazil, agricultural “technological change that eliminates female jobs also increases fertility.” ( Moorthy ) #DID

Can improved counseling increase willingness to pay for modern contraceptives? In Cameroon, discounts increased update by 50 percent while shared decision-making (i.e., better information tailored to individual needs) tripled the share of clients adopting a contraceptive at full price. ( Athey et al. ) #RCT

In Malawi, women who received targeted counseling were 15.6 percent less likely to use their stated ideal contraceptive method. With husbands present at the counselling session, women were 13.5 percent less likely to change their stated ideal method. ( Karra and Zhang ) #RCT

Households and marriage

"Participation in Oportunidades [in Mexico] increased mothers’ bargaining power by almost 24%, associated with a 20% increase in their individual welfare." ( Flores ) #DID

An increase in community violence in Mexico led to a decrease in women's decision-making power. ( Hernandez-de-Benito )

In Ethiopia, a legal reform that provides for more equal division of property between wives and husbands in the case of divorce leads to higher consumption levels, particularly where non-land assets are divided more equally than land assets. ( Kieran ) #FE

Across 28 sub-Saharan African countries over the last 30 years, "at any given time more than 10% of children ages 5-16, the majority of them girls, were living with no parent present." ( McGavock )

In India’s marriage market, women prefer men who have completed primary school, while men are not looking for highly educated women. ( Beauchamp, Calvi, and Fulford )

Mobility restrictions in colonial Mozambique led young men to marry earlier and to women of similar age. “Because smaller age disparities reduce HIV risk”, “it is nearly 50 percent lower in those regions.” ( Denton-Schneider ) #RD

In sub-Saharan Africa, the effect of droughts on child marriage is weaker where polygyny is more commonly practiced. ( Tapsoba ) #FE

In China, early marriage reduces women’s progressive gender role attitudes. ( Wu ) #IV

Does it matter whether we discover information by ourselves or hear it from our spouse? For women in India, it’s the same. Men’s beliefs respond less than half as much to information that was discovered by their wife. Husbands put less weight on their wife’s signals even when it is “perfectly shared with them.” ( Conlon et al. ) #FE

After Cambodia’s World Trade Organization (WTO) accession, men in districts facing larger tariff reductions experienced a significant decline in paid employment, whereas women increased their entry into the labor force. This increased intimate partner violence, without changes in marriage, fertility, psychological distress, or household consumption. ( Erten and Keskin ) #FE

In India, mineral deposits—when it comes with sharing of mining royalties with local groups to support investment in vulnerable populations—improve women’s outcomes: “there is reduced acceptance of physical violence and women report fewer barriers to accessing healthcare.”( Guimbeau et al. ) #IV

A female empowerment program—with psychosocial therapy and vocational skills training—in Monrovia, Liberia, reduced the share of women who experienced emotional, physical, and sexual intimate partner violence. One channel: the business training was highly effective, increasing labor supply by 37 percent. ( Sungho Park and Kumar ) #RCT

Migration and refugees

Slavery-intensive districts opposed emancipation in 19 th century Brazil. There was “more support for emancipation where immigrants provided an alternative source of labor” and “where enslaved persons could more easily escape.” ( Seyler and Silve ) #IV

A one SD decrease in soil moisture leads to a 2 percentage point drop in the probability of international migration from West Africa to Europe, equivalent to a 25 percent decrease in the number of international migrants. ( Martínez Flores, Milusheva, and Reichert ) #FE

Adolescents in the households of return migrants in Mexico have a higher probability to attend school, and a lower probability to work or to work and attend school at the same time. ( Chakraborty ) #IV

In the US, “unemployment among low-skilled natives and local welfare expenditure per capita increase in the short-run with low-skilled immigration, but those effects fade through time, while voting is shifted towards republicans in the short run, but only partially attenuate.” ( Oliveira ) #IV

Regularization of Venezuelan migrants in Colombia (with the PEP visa) led to 18 percent and 24.5 percent higher consumption and income per capita compared to other migrants. They also have access to safety nets and financial services, better labor conditions, less food insecurity and better integration in the Colombian society. ( Ibáñez et al. ) #RD

In the Tigray region of Ethiopia, interaction with a migrant significantly improves attitudes towards them. ( Bezabih et al. ) #RCT

Working and saving

Banking and credit.

"Substantial credit creation and destruction exist at all phases of the business cycle" in India. "The annual average of gross and excess credit reallocation in India is even higher than the prior work on the U.S." ( Saini )

In Brazil, privatized branches reduce their lending supply alongside branch closure that adversely impacts bank access, especially in less developed locations. ( Mariani ) #FE

Increasing access to digital loans in Nigeria improves subjective well-being but does not significantly impact other measures of welfare. ( Björkegren et al. ) #RCT

In the 2000s in India, “banks with stronger deposit franchises significantly increased exposure to sectors characterized by long-term advances and rigid rates, whereas banks with weaker franchise increased exposure to sectors with flexible interest rates. Subsequently, banks with lower sensitivity to market interest rates have higher nonperforming loans.” ( Kulkarni and Singh ) #DID

In the absence of the 1997 financial crisis, “there would have been 20 percent more [bank] branches and 9.3 percent more markets [in Thailand] with at least one branch after ten years.” Access to loans would have increased by 13.7 percentage points ( Rysman, Townsend, and Walsh ) #FE

Rural banks in Indian villages decrease informal borrowing and increase formal loans, insurance, and savings products. This reduces poverty rates and stress, and increases non-agriculture self-employment, business income, and wage income. ( Barboni, Field, and Pande )

Access to microcredit in rural China reduced informal borrowing and raised the value of autarky (i.e., economic self-reliance). “Program members relied less on informal financial networks for insuring against shocks when they anticipated having access to credit from the village banks.” ( Cai ) #RCT

Performance-contingent contracts in Kenya have positive impacts on micro-distributor profits. ( Cordaro et al. ) #RCT

After a five-hour financial literacy program in rural Uganda, small business owners were more likely to have savings in their mobile money account or formal savings, and smaller outstanding loans. ( Hamdan et al. ) #RCT

Cash transfers

Unconditional cash transfers in Indonesia led recipients to be “2 to 3 percent less likely to be employed and, among those employed, 3 to 6 percent less likely to be in formal work following receipt of the transfer.” ( Pritadrajati ) #DID

Household exposure to Uganda’s social pension program improves child nutrition and increases educational investment in kin-based societies. There is no impact on children in societies organized by social groups based on age, where intergenerational ties are weak. ( Moscona and Seck ) #DID

The New Rural Pension Scheme (NRPS) in rural China “reduces labor supply, and the receipt of NRPS benefits lowers labor force participation by 9 percent.” ( Nikolov and Wang ) #RD

A cash transfer program in the Philippines reduced non-partner domestic violence (e.g., husband’s relatives), with no effect on intimate partner violence or violence outside home. Suggested mediating channels include stress reduction, increase in empowerment and bargaining power, and strengthening of social networks. ( Dervisevic, Perova, and Sahay ) #RD

Firms and microenterprises

“Spanish firms have lower productivity growth…than German firms…. financial frictions account for 11% of the aggregate productivity growth difference.” ( Sui ) #IV #FE

“Aggregate reallocation is procyclical,” which is “puzzling given the documented fact that the benefits to reallocation are countercyclical.” But “this procyclicality is entirely driven by reallocation of bundled capital.” ( Yang )

Fast-food chains in the US may intentionally target areas with higher obesity rates: "every 1% increase in obesity rate results in 3.8-4.3 additional branch openings." ( Chopra ) #PSM

Using data from India’s largest job website, growing demand for machine learning skills—a proxy for the adoption of artificial intelligence—"has a direct negative impact on the total number of vacancies posted by” firms. It also reduces wages for most jobs. ( Copestake, Pople, and Stapleton ) #FE

A three-week mini-masters of business administration (MBA) program for Ugandan high school students had positive impacts on earnings and business profits 3.5 years later, regardless of whether the training focused on hard skills or soft skills. ( Chioda et al. ) #RCT

In China, “individuals with higher college entrance exam scores … are less likely to create firms; however, when they do, their firms are more successful than those of their lower-score counterparts.” ( Bai et al. ) #FE

The improvement of the quality of legal courts in India has a disproportionately large impact on investment decisions of individuals from disadvantaged castes. ( Chakraborty et al. ) #FE

The entry of chain stores (like 7-11 or Circle-K) into Mexican neighborhoods reduced the number of neighborhood shops, but mostly from fewer newer neighborhood shops opening than usual rather than a bunch going out of business. ( Talamas Marcos ) #IV

In India, managers of firms with the same group identity (family lineage, native language, place of origin, and caste) as the board earn higher compensation. ( Aswani )

Reliability matters for firm-level trading patterns. In Rwanda, ‘good firms’—exporters, multinational companies, large firms, and suppliers to exporters and other multinational companies—are considered more reliable. Reliability matters for the supply chain and supplying a multinational company increases overall seller reliability. ( Nigam and Tan ) #FE

In the Dominican Republic, 20 percent of workers who change firms move to a buyer or supplier of their original employer. Hiring firms experience strong sales and productivity growth. ( Cardoza et al. ) #FE

In China, “historical family culture, as measured by genealogy density, is positively correlated with the share of family firms in counties.” ( Xie and Yuan ) #IV

While rural communities in India can solve internal collective action problems to improve production quality, they are not free from internal market frictions. ( Rao and Shenoy ) #DID

In Mozambique, while female telephone sales representatives working with M-Pesa, a leading mobile money provider in Sub-Saharan Africa, registered fewer clients with new SIM cards, they were more likely to convert these new mobile phone clients to M-Pesa, resulting in similar overall enrollments of new M-Pesa clients. ( Karra et al. ) #RCT

Contracts between the largest oil companies and petro-rich economies with weak institutions go through more changes later in the process (i.e., are backloaded) relative to countries with strong institutions. ( Paltseva, Toews, and Troya-Martinez ) #FE

Labor (including child labor)

A six-month wage incentive for secondary school graduates in Mexico gets youth into the labor market sooner then they'd enter otherwise (without pulling them away from education). ( Abel et al. ) #RCT

A new model to simulate the “the potential impacts of automation” finds big inequality impacts: Automation “raises 2050 wages of high-skilled American workers by 28.8 percent and lowers 2050 wages of low-skilled American workers by 22.8.” ( Benzell et al. )

Do “rickshaw-pullers from Bangladesh exert more effort in their work when they have more family dependents to support?” Yes. ( Aziz )

Most firms in Ethiopia use social networks to find new employees. Subsidizing the formalization of their search (through online and physical posting of job ads) had no effect on the total vacancies that firms created, but it did lead to more “white collar, professional positions.” ( Hensel, Tekleselassie, and Witte ) #RCT

“Offering part-time employment opportunities” in Ethiopia, compared to full-time employment, “attracts less able applicants, who exhibit lower productivity as measured by data entry speed and accuracy during an internship.” ( Kim, Kim, and Zhu ) #RCT

A women’s self-help group lending program in rural Bihar, India, reduced participation in agricultural wage labor for women from disadvantaged caste groups, while those from privileged caste groups increased their participation in self-employment. ( Surendra ) #DID

Uber is used by drivers to buffer against adverse weather shocks: a one SD increase in the intensity of an agricultural shock in Uganda increases time online by 5.1 hours in the month of the adverse weather event (a 6 percent increase over average hours). ( Michuda ) #FE

In India, a mother-in-law’s death reduces her daughter-in-law’s labor force participation by 10 percent. ( Khanna and Pandey ) #FE

In India, “job ads with a high female association use words in the job text that reflect gender stereotypes in job attributes, offer lower wages, and attract a high share of female applications.” ( Chaturvedi, Mahajan, Siddique ) #FE

After a commodity price boom in Brazil, labor was reallocated away from agriculture towards the manufacturing sector in locations more exposed to the commodities boom. ( Laskievic ) #IV

Poverty Measurement

Limitations of big data: Call Detail Records in Haiti fail as an alternative basis for either targeting or evaluation. Predicted outcomes are too noisy to differentiate between targeted cash transfer beneficiaries or to detect changes in food security. ( Barriga Cabanillas et al. ) #RD

Despite large post-disaster reconstruction programs after the 2004 tsunami in Aceh, Indonesia, the economic status of those living in heavily damaged areas did not keep up. This is partly driven by much higher inflation rates in those areas. ( Lawton et al. ) #FE

In Mexico, “combining survey and sub-area level satellite data using household-level empirical best models, while not always preferable to older census-based poverty estimates, significantly improves the accuracy and precision of survey-based estimates of monetary poverty.” ( Newhouse et al. )

What information do community members have and use for social benefits targeting? In Purworejo, Central Java, community members use longer-term wealth information to predict dynamic welfare and to target social benefits. This may be useful in identifying long-term poverty but less so to identify short-term distress. ( Trachtman, Permana, and Sahadewo ) #LIF

Governments, institutions, and conflict

“A decrease by one percent of the US family planning aid induces a decrease by 0.101 percent from the other donors on average.” ( Ferrière ) #IV

Local labor unrest in China increases allocation of Chinese foreign aid projects to large state-owned firms in the area, and employment by these firms increases. Overall, Chinese aid has positive effects on GDP, capital formation, consumption, and employment in the aid receiving country. ( Mueller ) #FE

In areas with high malaria exposure, there are fewer Chinese aid projects and Chinese workers. ( Cervellati et al. ) #DID

Conflict and crime

In Brazil, “municipalities more exposed to illegal mining experienced extra 8 homicides per 100,000 people” (an increase of about 20 percent) after government capacity to monitor gold laundering was reduced. ( Pereira and Pucci ) #DID

Districts in Peru affected by the Mining Mita (a colonial labor-coercion institution) experience more social unrest and violent conflict today. ( Huaroto and Gallego ) #RD

In Africa, droughts in the territory of seasonally migrant populations that herd livestock lead to conflict in neighboring areas, especially in agricultural areas and during the wet season. “Effects are muted in the presence of irrigation aid projects, but not in the presence of other forms of foreign aid.” ( McGuirk and Nunn ) #FE

Post-war sex ratios (with fewer men) in Paraguay are “associated with higher out-of-wedlock births, more female-headed households, better female educational outcomes, higher female labor force participation, and more gender-equal gender norms.” ( Alix-Garcia et al. ) #FE

Reparations for survivors of human rights violations in Colombia improve their lives with positive gains in wage earnings, health, and consumption. Survivors also “invest in their children’s human capital, improving college attendance and test scores.” ( Guarin Galeano )

“Do agricultural producers forgo otherwise profitable investments due to civil conflict?” In Colombia, the answer is yes. Credit disbursement increases after a peace agreement due to changes in returns to investment. ( de Roux and Martínez ) #DID

A 2016 non-aggression pact between gangs in El Salvador led to a large reduction in violence, but increased extortion rates by 15 percent to 20 percent. Much of the increase was passed on to retailers and consumers with observed increases in prices for pharmaceutical drugs and hospital visits for chronic illnesses. ( Brown et al. ) #DID

Buildings constructed when the county officials had connections to their superiors at the prefecture level (in terms of having the same hometown) were 83 percent more likely to collapse during the 2008 Sichuan earthquake relative to the no-connection benchmark. ( Cao ) #DID

In Indonesia, performance appraisals of teachers reduce generosity (as proxied by willingness to make a donation to their own school) at the workplace and increase dishonest behavior, especially when appraisals are linked to financial sanctions. ( Ibanez et al. ) #FE

“Campaign contributions buy forbearance from enforcement of environmental regulations.” Deforestation in Colombia is significantly higher in municipalities that elect donor-funded as opposed to self-funded politicians. ( Harding et al. ) #RD

In Pakistan and India, public officials use personal funds to complement official funding for public services, and part of these funds come from bribes. ( Aman-Rana, Minaudier, and Sukhtankar )

In Brazil, audits increase the number of public employee hires, especially among municipalities in which audits uncovered higher corruption. Mayors hire additional employees as a form of patronage to compensate for audit-related electoral support loss. Additional hires do not positively affect public good and services provision. ( Gonzales ) #DID

In Mexico, partisan alignment between the municipal and federal government increased allocation of an infrastructure program, and increased misuse of federal funds only in municipalities receiving the program. ( Garfias, Lopez-Videla, and Sandholtz ) #RD

In West Bengal, India, “areas controlled by the state’s ruling party receive systematically higher welfare allocations, both in election and non-election years, and yield more votes for the ruling party in the next national election.” ( Shenoy and Zimmermann ) #RD

In India, “the state government channels disproportionate funds to politically-aligned jurisdictions in water-stressed areas and consequently gains votes in subsequent elections.” ( Mahadevan and Shenoy ) #RD

Joining a WhatsApp group organized by political parties in Tamil Nadu, India, increases political knowledge and affects political preferences towards the party affiliated by the WhatsApp group. Effects are stronger when horizontal communication between group members is enabled. ( Carney ) #RCT

During 2018 election in Russia, “video monitoring reduces reported voter turnout by 5.2 percent and votes for the incumbent (autocrat) by 8.3 percent, suggesting a decrease in fraud.” ( Faikina ) #RD

Candidates during 2012 and 2016 Brazilian municipal elections with an electoral advantage (i.e., frontrunners) are substantially more likely to receive a campaign attack than candidates with lower electoral ranking. ( Nakaguma and Souza ) #RD

Providing information about criminal cases and charges of legislative candidates in India increases votes for candidates with no criminal charges and reduces votes for candidates charged for crimes. ( George, Gupta, and Neggers ) #FE

In India, term-limited village presidents provide relatively fewer public goods to heavily populated streets (with many potential votes), and instead allocate more public goods to the streets of the landed elite. ( Brown, Genicot, and Kochhar ) #FE

In the DRC, high-ability tax collectors exert greater effort when matched with other high-ability collectors. Implementing the optimal assignment in terms of ability of tax collectors with (i) teams, and (ii) neighborhoods, would increase tax compliance by 37 percent relative to the status quo (random) assignment. But: governments would have to replace 62 percent of low-ability tax collectors or increase performance wages by 69 percent. ( Bergeron et al. ) #FE

After India switched from sales tax to a value-added tax, gross sales increase by 45 percent. ( Agrawal and Zimmermann ) #DID #FE

Water and sanitation

Incentives for caretakers to maintain community toilets in Indian slums led to improved quality of the facilities and more people paying the contributory fee, but also demanding even better operation and maintenance. ( Armand, Augsburg, and Bancalari ) #RCT

Building a bunch of latrines in India actually made the quality of river water worse, but only in states with less sewage treatment plant capacity. ( Motohashi ) #DID

A mixed team of Hindu and Muslim workers in India is less productive in high-dependency tasks, but this effect vanishes in four months. In low-dependency tasks, diversity does not affect productivity. Mixing improves out-group attitudes for Hindu workers in high-dependency tasks. ( Ghosh ) #FE

One SD increase in RecordTV, a church-affiliated TV channel in Brazil, signal strength leads to an increase of 0.9 percentage points in the share of Pentecostals. This religious adherence leads to higher fertility rates, lower female labor force participation, lower homicide rates, and more votes for Pentecostal candidates. ( Buccione and Mello ) #FE

A zoning reform in urban Brazil that increased the amount of construction allowed led to a 1.4 percent increase in housing stock and a reduction in housing prices. "College educated and higher income households gain the most from the reform." ( Anagol, Ferreira, and Rexer ) #RD

“Fuel standards and gasoline content regulations are widely adopted by policymakers to reduce urban pollution and emission.” Are consumers willing to pay for it? In China, consumers will pay 3.9 percent of the gas price for higher standards. Premium gas consumers will pay more. ( Wang, Zhou, and Zhang ) #DID #RD

Entry deregulations reforms in Guangdong, China, increased firm entry by 25 percent and firm exit by 8.7 percent. Productivity of post-reform entrants is higher likely due to easing of financial constraints and more intense market competition. ( Barwick et al. ) #DID

Reducing cost of formalizing a firm in Brazil increased the number of active formal firms by 60 percent and formal firm registration in eligible industries by 161 percent. Overall formality rate of micro entrepreneurs increased from 17 percent to 32 percent. ( De Farias and Rocha ) #FE

Agriculture and the environment

Agriculture and land.

Farmers in Malawi contribute more to a soil test of someone else's land if they perceive the land to be similar to their own. ( Berazneva et al. ) #RCT

Some measures of wheat quality are easily observed; others aren't. In Ethiopia, large markets only reward easily observed quality, but markets that have grain millers or farmer cooperatives on site reward hard-to-observe quality measures. ( Do Nascimento Miguel )

In Tanzania and Mozambique, drought-tolerant maize seeds combined with insurance mitigated the impact of midseason drought. Farmers learned from this experience and increased future investments. ( Boucher et al. ) #RCT

“The poorest districts in Africa are more likely to have better (not worse) soil quality and … land fertility is higher in districts with worse roads…. Transportation costs are the main drivers of poverty in Africa… Isolation might turn soil quality into a curse.” ( Wantchekon et al. ) #IV

"Increased access to irrigation" in India "significantly boosts agricultural land production." ( Boudot-Reddy and Butler ) #RD

Including women in agricultural extension training for growing rubber in Côte d'Ivoire dramatically boosted investment in new crops and made it possible to maintain previous productivity on older crops. ( Donald, Goldstein, and Rouanet ) #RCT

Fertilizer in Tanzania is rarely adulterated. An information campaign telling farmers that the fertilizer was high quality increased fertilizer use a lot. ( Michelson, Magomba, and Maertens ) #RCT

Cashew producers in Guinea Bissau who received text messages with up-to-date market news and advice earned 21 percent more than other farmers. ( Pereira et al. ) #RCT

Do cotton farmers in Pakistan “learn from cultivation experience about the pest resistance of their seeds”? Not so much. It turns out that “parsing out and processing information from cultivation experience alone” is difficult. ( Ahmad )

If you start the bidding at a higher level in auctions among "commercial agricultural producers in the US," final bids end up higher. (It's what behavioral economists call "anchoring.") ( Ferraro et al. ) #RCT

Inappropriateness of technology adapted as proxied by crop pests and pathogens mismatch reduces global agricultural productivity by 40 to 55 percent, and increases global disparities in the same by 10 to 15 percent ( Moscona and Sastry ) #FE

In US counties with historically heterogenous soil, community ties are weaker, implying that “social learning is an important determinant of social structure.” ( Raz ) #DID

In the long run, labor and capital being mobile, agricultural gains may not “generate structural change in the exact locations in which [agricultural gains] occur.” Agricultural productivity gains improve consumption and education, but there are no gains to nonfarm employment or consumption for landless households in India. ( Asher et al. ) #RD

In India: “1) rural land holding concentration is higher close to urban areas and decreases with distance from urban centers, 2) the increase in land concentration near urban areas is due to fewer medium sized farmers (i.e., more small and large farmers near urban areas), and 3) the distance to urban area-land holding concentration relationship depends positively on the size of the urban area.” ( Rao, Eberhard, and Bharadwaj ) #FE

In Ghana, increases in staple crop price variability led to forest loss because of increased cultivation of cocoa. ( Krah ) #FE

In Mexico and Indonesia, as average heat and precipitation rise, people's aversion to risk falls. But as variation in heat and precipitation rise, aversion to risk rises. (Higher risk aversion correlates with fewer risky behaviors like smoking or migrating.) ( Howden and Levin ) #FE

By 2080, “climate change is estimated to displace 12 percent” of the population of sub-Saharan Africa and “reduce real GDP by 4 percent.” ( Conte ) #FE

Projected increases in the frequency of droughts over the next 30 years in India “will induce landowning households to allocate 2 percent more labor to agriculture and induce landless households to reduce their agricultural labor. The net effect is a 1 percent to 2 percent reduction in agricultural labor.” ( Basu ) #FE

In China, appealing a firm’s violations of pollution standards through social media increased both regulatory oversight and firm compliance, which reduced subsequent violations by 40 percent and air and water pollution emissions by 13 percent and 4 percent, respectively. Appealing to the regulator through private channels only caused a marginal improvement in environmental outcomes. ( Buntaine et al. )

In Uganda, “higher ability managers do not avoid polluted areas, but better adapt to pollution by protecting their workers through both provision of equipment and flexibility in work schedules.” ( Bassi et al. ) #FE

Air pollution in Beijing reduces local traffic which in turn decreases restaurant revenue. ( Liu, Rahman, and Wang ) #IV

Macroeconomics

Growth and inequality.

In the early 2000s, basic internet availability led "to about two percentage points higher economic growth" in towns across sub-Saharan Africa. ( Goldbeck and Lindlacher ) #DID

The extinction of “megaherbivores” (i.e., really big plant-eating animals) brought on the Neolithic Revolution, when a society shifted from forging to agricultural. ( Kumagai ) #IV

“Towns that shortly after the conquest” of the former Kingdom of Granada by the Catholic monarchs “were granted to nobles are relatively poorer today.” ( Oto-Peralías ) #FE

In railroad towns in Brazil, a long historical time as a railroad endpoint predicts a large city size today. ( Barsanetti ) #FE #IV

In colonial Mexico, when the Spanish crown improved its ability to observe local economic production, the transition to direct rule increased in mining districts, leading to greater investments to improve fiscal legibility (“the ability of a central government to observe local economic conditions for the purposes of taxation, shapes political centralization”) over the long term. ( Garfias and Sellars ) #DID

Municipalities in Brazil that fail to receive the revenues they expected from a resource discovery “suffer significant declines in per capita investment and public goods spending after ten years. In contrast, municipalities where discoveries are realized enjoy significant growth in per capita revenues and spending.” ( Katovich ) #DID

Korea’s promotion of heavy and chemical industries in the 1970s led to significant growth among targeted industries/regions. However, their total factor productivity did not grow faster because of resource misallocation across plants. ( Kim, Lee, and Shin ) #DID

Differences between men and women in occupational and sectoral choices and in wages are largest in poor countries and converge over the development process. ( Chiplunkar and Kleineberg ) #FE

“The geographic prevalence of domesticable transport animals, but not of other domesticable animals, strongly predicts the emergence of early long-distance trade routes.” Much later, “at the onset of the industrial era, ethnic groups living in regions historically also home to domesticable transport animals were more involved in trade and had built more complex hierarchical structures.” ( Link ) #FE

“A 10 percent decline in inter-state border frictions in India leads to welfare gains ranging between 1 percent and 8 percent across districts.” ( Panigrahi ) #FE

Ratifying an international trademark agreement led to welfare gains in Africa (from Chinese exports). ( Kuroishi ) #DID

China’s accession to the WTO (and implementation of import tariff cuts) improved female labor market conditions relative to males. It changed assortative mating patterns, improved education, and reduced women’s number of children, especially among high-skilled women. ( Luo and Zou ) #FE

In Vietnam, “US tariff reductions led to a decrease in the likelihood of being self-employed or working in an informal business and increased employment in foreign owned firms.” ( Asghar and McCaig ) #FE

Economic sanctions in Iran led to an overall decline in manufacturing employment growth rate by 16.4 percentage points. Effects are driven by labor-intensive industries and those that depend on imported inputs. ( Moghaddasi Kelishomi and Nisticò )

Following China’s accession to the World Trade Organization, Chinese cities more exposed to trade liberalization sent more students to US universities. Educational exports dampened trends in regional inequality. “Recent trade wars could cost US universities about $1.6 bn in tuition revenue.” ( Khanna et al. ) #IV

After Brazil’s tariff reform in the 1990, “regions specialized in adult-specific industries had lower growth in schooling and higher increases in child labor, especially in paid works.” Results translated into persistent effects on human capital formation and a structural transformation in employment composition. ( Viaro and Nakaguma ) #FE

The order of authors on this blog was determined by a virtual coin flip . This blog post benefited from research assistance from Amina Mendez Acosta and editing by Jeremy Gaines . It also appears on the Development Impact blog .

CGD blog posts reflect the views of the authors, drawing on prior research and experience in their areas of expertise. CGD is a nonpartisan, independent organization and does not take institutional positions.

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Articles on Economic development

Displaying 1 - 20 of 132 articles.

Industrialisation is still vital to economic development but some countries are struggling to reap its benefits

Jostein Hauge , University of Cambridge

Poor men south of Richmond? Why much of the rural South is in economic crisis

Peter A. Coclanis , University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Louis M. Kyriakoudes , Middle Tennessee State University

India could soon be the world’s third biggest economy – NZ needs to build the trade relationship urgently

Rahul Sen , Auckland University of Technology

How Indigenous economic development corporations can support a just, low-carbon energy transition

Christina E. Hoicka , University of Victoria and Matthew Foss

Tribes in Maine left out of Native American resurgence by 40-year -old federal law denying their self-determination

Joseph Kalt , Harvard Kennedy School ; Amy Besaw Medford , Harvard Kennedy School , and Jonathan B. Taylor , Harvard Kennedy School

Community-based economic development is the key to a strong pandemic recovery

Audrey Jamal , University of Guelph

Expanded access to solar power in Africa can stimulate economic development – but there are risks

Ben Radley , University of Bath

Street traders in South Africa play a vital role: how their rights can be protected

Nonhlanhla Ngcobo , North-West University ; Anél du Plessis , North-West University , and Oliver Fuo , North-West University

What drives Chinese migrants to Ghana: it’s not just an economic decision

Jinpu Wang , Syracuse University

Small oil producers like Ghana, Guyana and Suriname could gain as buyers shun Russian crude

Jennapher Lunde Seefeldt , Augustana University

Got $1.2T to invest in roads and other infrastructure? Here’s how to figure out how to spend it wisely

Anna Nagurney , UMass Amherst

South African local government elections: why a great deal hangs on the outcome

Dirk Kotze , University of South Africa

Municipalities can play a key role in South Africa’s economic development. Here’s how

Johann Kirsten , Stellenbosch University and Helanya Fourie , Stellenbosch University

COVID: poorest countries should have stopped short of full workplace closures – economist

Mehdi Shiva , University of Oxford

If China’s middle class continues to thrive and grow, what will it mean for the rest of the world?

Amitrajeet A. Batabyal , Rochester Institute of Technology

Pandemic recovery will take more than soaring growth – to fuel a more equitable economy, countries need to measure the well-being of people, too

Bas van Bavel , Utrecht University and Auke Rijpma , Utrecht University

Many African countries had a surprise manufacturing surge in 2010s – it bodes well for the years ahead

Gaaitzen de Vries , United Nations University ; Emmanuel B Mensah , University of Groningen ; Hagen Kruse , University of Groningen , and Kunal Sen , United Nations University

Why the EU’s global fishing activities can’t be called sustainable yet

Andrew Frederick Johnson , Heriot-Watt University and Ingrid Kelling , Heriot-Watt University

The Indigenous people of Urat village in Lake Toba have been left out of rural tourism development

Ringkar Situmorang , Universitas Multimedia Nusantara ; Arnold Japutra , The University of Western Australia , and Teddy Trilaksono , Universitas Prasetiya Mulya

In changing urban neighborhoods, new food offerings can set the table for gentrification

Joshua Sbicca , Colorado State University ; Alison Alkon , University of the Pacific , and Yuki Kato , Georgetown University

Top contributors

Professor of Rural-Urban Policy, The Ohio State University

Assistant Professor in Development Studies, University of Cambridge

Associate Vice President (External Engagement); Chair Professor of Business Analytics;, University of Surrey

Senior Lecturer in International Business, Birkbeck, University of London

Professor and Eugene M. Isenberg Chair in Integrative Studies, UMass Amherst

Research Fellow, The Australasian Centre for Resilience Implementation for Sustainable Communities, Charles Darwin University

Academic Director, School for International Training, The University of Melbourne

Professor of Environment and Society, University of Essex

Research Fellow New South Institute, Emeritus Professor at The Nelson Mandela School of Public Governance, University of Cape Town

Assistant Professor of Human Development and Family Science, The Ohio State University

Visiting Assistant Professor, University of Arizona

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The Study Blog : Research topics

50+ Economics research Topics and Topic Ideas for dissertation

The ultimate goal of economic science is to improve the living conditions of people in everyday lives. Economists study how to utilize the available scarce resources to maximize value and thus profits. The concerns of economics today are largely focused on issues such as opportunity cost, consumption and production, borrowing, saving, investments, occupations and employment, trades markets, pricing and human behavior concerning making economic decisions.

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Given that economics covers a lot of issues in society today coupled with the multitude of research studies within the existing literature, many economics students find it difficult to find the most suitable economic research topic for their undergraduate project, master’s thesis, and dissertations. Technological advancement has also increased the pace of transformation and globalization creating new areas in economics that are worth research. Our economics experts have curated a list of research paper topics in economics that you can use to get the perfect research paper topic.

Micro-Economics Research Topics

Microeconomics deals with the economic behavior of individual isolated units of the economy like an individual, a household, a company, and industry. Micro-economists study factors that influence economic choices, markets and their key elements such as demand and supply and analyze markets and determine the prices for goods and services that best allocate the available limited resources. Some of the best research topics in microeconomics that you can use for your thesis or dissertation include:

1. The effect of income changes on consumer choices

2. The effect of labor force participation on the economy and budget – A comparison

3. The impact of marital status on the labor force composition: A case of [your country] economy

4. The difference in the consumption attitude in [your country] over the last decade – Critical analysis of consumer behavior trends

5. The relationship between salary levels and ‘economic convergence’ in [your country]?

6. Analyzing salary inequalities in [your country] and the forces behind such inequalities.

7. The evolution of consumption in [your country] over the last 10 years: Trends and consumer behavior.

8. Dynamics of the Gini index as a reflection of the problem of inequality in income

9. Cashless economy: The impact of demonetization on small and medium businesses

10 Privatization of Public Enterprises and its implications on economic policy and development

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Macroeconomics Research Topics

1. The relationship between economic growth and unemployment in [your country]

2. Global recession and factors that contribute to it.

3. Impact of government expenditure on economic growth in [country]

4. The impact of company income tax revenue on the developing economies- A comparative analysis of Kenya, India, and Nigeria

5. The relationship between common stock prices and inflation in [your country]

6. The relationship between inflation and government spending in [your country] economy.

7. The effect of currency devaluation on small and medium firms- A case study of selected multinationals in [your country]

8. The relationship between internet connectivity and productivity in the workplace

9. The evolution of the stock market in [your country]: Causes and consequences

10 Unemployment and regional mobility of labor in [your country]

11 A comparison of the United States unemployment to the rest of the world

Research Topics on International Trade

1. The relationship between economic growth and international trade

2. To what extent does a currency union affect trade: A case of the United States

3. What are the gains and losses of international trade for developing countries?

4. Foreign direct investment in the United States: Determinants and impact

5. The effects of the banana crisis on the Jamaican and British economies

6. The impact of Brexit on small and middle businesses in the UK

7. The relationship between foreign direct investment and wages- A comparative analysis of USA and China

8. The roles of exchange rate and exchange rate regime in the US export

9. The importance of international trade in developing countries

10 To what extent are the gains of less developed countries from tradeliberalization exaggerated?

Environmental economics research paper topics

Economic activities such as production have a significant impact on the environment such as pollution and depletion of natural resources. Environmental economics studies these impacts and other environmental issues. Below are some of the best research paper topics in environmental economics.

1. An economic examination of waste disposal programs in the United States

2. Man-made environmental disasters: who bears the economic liability?

3. The economics of land- a comparative analysis of land sharing and land sparing in the United States

4. The impact of waste disposal programs to America’s Environmental Policy: An economic evaluation

5. Water management and conservation policies in the United States and the UK- a comparative analysis

6. The economic implications of climate policy changes because of different climate change assessment mechanisms

7. Investigating the cost of organizational environmental analysis in the United States

8. What are the determinants of climate policy formulation in the United States? An economic scrutiny

9. The economic perspectives of distribution of natural resources across boundaries

10 The impact of technological innovation for clean and green products on the environment

11 The impact of work-life balance on social eco-systems: perspectives from the United States

12 The relationship between financial subsidies and generation of eco-friendly products

Research Paper Topics on Behavioral Economics

Behavioral economics examines the psychology behind economic activities and economic decision making. It examines the limitation of the assumption that individuals are perfectly normal. Good behavioral economics topics cover subjects such as bounded rationality, irrational exuberance, and choice architecture.

1. Inducing choice paralysis: how retailers bury customers in an avalanche of options

2. The behavioral economics of discounting- A case study of amazon

3. Pricing and the decoy effect; how corporations ‘nudge’ consumers to spend more

4. Big data and implications for behavioral economics

5. A study of how the United States market benefitted from behavioral economics theory

6. How has behavioral economics influenced the real-world context? A case of online purchase behavior

7. Weight management through behavioral economics: use of incentives

8. What motivates consumers? A behavioral economics perspective

9. Using behavioral economics to help in reducing substance abuse

10 Addressing lifestyle management for diabetes through behavioral analysis- insights from the US healthcare sector

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Development Economics research paper topics

1. The impact of multinational commodity trading through the development economic perspective

2. The impact of globalization on income distribution in emerging economies

3. Investigating the relationship between migration and development economics

4. Budgeting and decision making by low-income earners in emerging economics

5. Investigating the relationship between family planning, labor force, and income fluctuations

6. The impact of natural disasters on development in emerging economies

7. The impact of population growth on development economics- review of India

8. The determinants of high performing institutions in emerging economies

9. Comparative economic patterns of villages across Virginia

10 Aid and economic growth of developing economies- a review

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Home » 500+ Economics Research Topics

500+ Economics Research Topics

Economics is a vast and fascinating field that explores how individuals, businesses, and governments make decisions about the allocation of resources. As such, it provides a wealth of research opportunities for those interested in understanding and analyzing the complexities of modern society. From macroeconomic issues such as globalization and monetary policy, to microeconomic topics such as consumer behavior and market competition, there are numerous research topics that economists can investigate. In this post, we will explore some of the most interesting and relevant economics research topics that are shaping our world today.

Economics Research Topics

Economics Research Topics are as follows:

The impact of technological change on income inequality.
An analysis of the relationship between exchange rates and foreign direct investment.
The effects of tax incentives on small business growth and development.
The determinants of economic growth in developing countries.
The impact of globalization on economic growth and development.
An analysis of the effects of the minimum wage on employment and poverty.
The role of central banks in managing inflation and economic stability.
An investigation into the factors influencing consumer behavior and spending.
An analysis of the impact of trade liberalization on economic growth.
The effects of income inequality on social welfare and economic stability.
The role of international trade in economic development.
An investigation into the relationship between education and economic growth.
An analysis of the effects of corruption on economic growth and development.
The impact of the gig economy on employment and wages.
An investigation into the causes and consequences of financial crises.
The role of innovation in economic growth and development.
An analysis of the impact of government spending on economic growth.
The effects of globalization on the environment.
The impact of climate change on economic growth and development.
An investigation into the determinants of poverty and inequality.
The role of entrepreneurship in economic growth and development.
An analysis of the effects of monetary policy on economic growth and stability.
The impact of immigration on labor markets and economic growth.
An investigation into the factors influencing international trade flows.
An analysis of the effects of foreign aid on economic development.
The role of financial intermediaries in economic development.
An investigation into the causes and consequences of income inequality.
The impact of trade agreements on economic growth and development.
An analysis of the effects of government regulation on business and economic growth.
The role of technology transfer in economic development.
An investigation into the effects of economic sanctions on trade and economic growth.
The impact of population growth on economic development.
An analysis of the effects of infrastructure investment on economic growth.
The role of natural resources in economic development.
An investigation into the effects of labor market policies on economic growth and employment.
The impact of financial innovation on economic growth and stability.
An analysis of the effects of income tax policy on economic growth and income distribution.
The role of social capital in economic development.
An investigation into the impact of economic policies on international trade.
The effects of financial liberalization on economic growth and stability.
The impact of urbanization on economic development.
An analysis of the effects of international migration on labor markets and economic growth.
The role of institutions in economic development.
An investigation into the effects of exchange rate volatility on international trade.
The impact of demographic change on economic growth and development.
An analysis of the effects of government debt on economic growth and stability.
The role of foreign investment in economic development.
An investigation into the effects of labor market flexibility on economic growth and employment.
The impact of intellectual property rights on innovation and economic growth.
An analysis of the effects of economic inequality on social mobility and economic growth.
The impact of COVID-19 on the global economy.
The role of financial markets in economic growth.
The effectiveness of monetary policy in stabilizing the economy.
The relationship between income inequality and economic growth.
The impact of government regulations on business activity.
The role of technology in shaping the future of the economy.
The effect of globalization on the labor market.
The impact of trade policy on economic growth.
The relationship between education and economic growth.
The effectiveness of fiscal policy in stimulating economic growth.
The impact of immigration on the labor market.
The effect of tax policy on economic growth.
The role of entrepreneurship in economic development.
The impact of environmental regulations on economic growth.
The effect of international capital flows on the economy.
The relationship between innovation and economic growth.
The impact of demographic changes on the economy.
The role of infrastructure investment in economic growth.
The effect of monetary policy on income inequality.
The impact of government debt on economic growth.
The relationship between corruption and economic growth.
The effect of globalization on income inequality.
The impact of education on income inequality.
The role of social welfare programs in reducing poverty.
The effect of minimum wage laws on the labor market.
The impact of health care policy on economic growth.
The relationship between energy prices and economic growth.
The effect of government subsidies on business activity.
The impact of exchange rate fluctuations on trade.
The role of financial innovation in economic development.
The effect of social media on consumer behavior.
The impact of consumer confidence on economic growth.
The relationship between economic growth and political stability.
The effect of demographic changes on income inequality.
The impact of government spending on economic growth.
The role of labor unions in the labor market.
The effect of natural disasters on the economy.
The relationship between economic growth and environmental sustainability.
The effect of corporate social responsibility on business activity.
The impact of intellectual property rights on innovation.
The effect of cultural differences on business activity.
The impact of financial crises on the economy.
The relationship between economic growth and health outcomes.
The effect of government corruption on economic growth.
The impact of demographic changes on the labor market.
The effect of foreign aid on economic growth.
The impact of technological change on the labor market.
The effect of monetary policy on income distribution.
The impact of trade agreements on economic growth
The effect of corruption on economic development
The relationship between financial development and economic growth
The impact of foreign aid on economic growth in developing countries
The role of innovation in promoting economic growth
The impact of globalization on income inequality
The relationship between inflation and economic growth
The role of natural resources in economic development
The impact of government expenditure on economic growth
The relationship between income distribution and economic growth
The impact of monetary policy on economic growth
The role of education in promoting economic growth
The impact of entrepreneurship on economic development
The relationship between taxation and economic growth
The impact of infrastructure on economic growth
The role of international trade in economic development
The impact of fiscal policy on economic growth
The relationship between financial liberalization and economic growth
The impact of economic integration on economic growth
The role of institutions in promoting economic development
The impact of foreign direct investment on economic growth
The relationship between inequality and economic growth
The impact of social welfare programs on economic growth
The role of technology in promoting economic growth
The impact of political instability on economic growth
The relationship between corruption and economic growth
The impact of labor market policies on economic growth
The role of human capital in promoting economic development
The impact of health care on economic growth
The relationship between exchange rates and economic growth
The impact of foreign trade on income distribution
The role of entrepreneurship in economic development
The impact of environmental policies on economic growth
The relationship between foreign aid and poverty reduction
The impact of financial sector reforms on economic growth
The role of social capital in promoting economic development
The impact of regional integration on economic growth
The relationship between public investment and economic growth
The impact of monetary policy on income distribution
The role of international migration in economic development
The impact of labor market flexibility on economic growth
The relationship between trade and technology transfer
The impact of institutional quality on economic growth
The role of financial sector development in promoting economic growth
The impact of regional inequality on economic growth
The relationship between education and poverty reduction
The impact of foreign debt on economic growth
The role of social protection in promoting economic development
The impact of energy policies on economic growth
The relationship between foreign trade and environmental sustainability
The impact of international trade on income inequality.
The relationship between public debt and economic growth.
The effect of tax policy on international capital flows.
The impact of government subsidies on technological innovation.
The role of financial development in reducing poverty.
The effect of regulation on market structure.
The impact of globalization on financial stability.
The relationship between financial development and income inequality.
The effect of fiscal policy on long-term economic growth.
The impact of financial frictions on business cycles.
The role of international capital flows in financial crises.
The effect of natural resource abundance on economic growth.
The impact of fiscal decentralization on economic growth.
The relationship between institutions and economic growth.
The effect of financial innovation on market efficiency.
The impact of international migration on the labor market.
The role of corporate governance in firm performance.
The effect of monetary policy on the housing market.
The impact of environmental policy on the energy sector.
The effect of competition policy on market outcomes.
The impact of technology adoption on productivity.
The effect of regulation on consumer welfare.
The impact of trade policy on export performance.
The relationship between social capital and economic growth.
The effect of labor market institutions on the gender wage gap.
The impact of financial liberalization on economic growth.
The role of human capital in technological innovation.
The effect of trade openness on innovation.
The impact of natural disasters on economic growth.
The relationship between inequality and economic growth.
The effect of exchange rate volatility on international trade.
The impact of banking regulation on financial stability.
The role of venture capital in financing innovation.
The effect of regional trade agreements on economic growth.
The impact of financial development on economic growth in emerging markets.
The relationship between government spending and economic growth.
The effect of monetary policy on credit markets.
The impact of innovation on firm performance.
The role of social networks in job search and labor market outcomes.
The effect of international capital flows on income inequality.
The impact of natural resource dependence on political instability.
The relationship between financial development and income mobility.
The effect of tax competition on fiscal policy.
The impact of labor market institutions on unemployment.
The role of infrastructure investment in economic development.
The effect of monetary policy on financial market volatility.
The impact of fiscal policy on income redistribution.
The role of digital currencies in the future of finance.
The effects of the gig economy on labor markets.
The impact of artificial intelligence on economic growth.
The relationship between climate change and economic growth.
The role of blockchain technology in supply chain management.
The effects of automation on the labor market.
The impact of E-commerce on traditional retail industries.
The relationship between social media and consumer behavior.
The role of data analytics in business decision-making.
The effects of globalization on income inequality.
The impact of digital platforms on the sharing economy.
The relationship between education and economic growth in the digital age.
The role of fintech in financial inclusion.
The effects of trade policies on global supply chains.
The impact of corporate social responsibility on business performance.
The relationship between immigration and economic growth.
The role of venture capital in stimulating innovation and economic growth.
The effects of the circular economy on sustainable development.
The impact of cybersecurity threats on the global economy.
The relationship between gender inequality and economic growth.
The role of green finance in promoting sustainable development.
The effects of automation on income inequality.
The impact of the sharing economy on traditional business models.
The relationship between human capital and economic growth.
The role of technology transfer in international trade.
The effects of regulatory frameworks on innovation.
The impact of government policies on the growth of start-up companies.
The role of venture philanthropy in social entrepreneurship.
The effects of digital disruption on the financial services industry.
The impact of the circular economy on job creation.
The relationship between health outcomes and economic growth.
The role of impact investing in social and environmental sustainability.
The effects of trade agreements on the global economy.
The impact of entrepreneurship on economic growth.
The relationship between innovation and income inequality.
The role of corporate governance in sustainable business practices.
The effects of immigration policies on labor market outcomes.
The impact of international capital flows on economic development.
The relationship between corporate social responsibility and financial performance.
The role of innovation clusters in regional economic development.
The effects of digitalization on productivity.
The impact of the sharing economy on urban development.
The relationship between social entrepreneurship and economic growth.
The role of government policies in promoting sustainable development.
The effects of demographic changes on the economy.
The impact of digitalization on economic development in developing countries.
The relationship between consumer behavior and sustainability.
The role of private equity in stimulating economic growth.
The impact of government spending on economic growth
The effects of minimum wage laws on employment and poverty rates
The role of government subsidies in promoting renewable energy adoption
The impact of trade liberalization on economic growth and income inequality
The effectiveness of monetary policy in managing inflation and unemployment
The determinants of foreign direct investment flows in emerging markets
The role of financial markets in economic development
The impact of globalization on the labor market
The effects of tax policies on economic growth and income distribution
The role of human capital in economic growth and development
The economics of climate change and the environment
The effects of population aging on economic growth and social welfare
The impact of social safety net programs on poverty reduction
The effects of corruption on economic development and political stability
The impact of technological innovation on labor market outcomes
The economics of healthcare policy and healthcare markets
The determinants of entrepreneurship and small business success
The effects of income inequality on economic growth and social welfare
The economics of urbanization and regional development
The role of foreign aid in promoting economic development
The impact of fiscal policy on economic growth and government debt
The effects of financial regulation on economic stability and growth
The economics of education policy and school choice
The determinants of consumer behavior and market outcomes
The role of multinational corporations in the global economy
The effects of immigration on labor markets and economic growth
The impact of monetary policy on financial markets and stability
The economics of natural resource management and conservation
The determinants of industrial competitiveness and productivity
The effects of trade policies on economic growth and regional integration
The role of institutional quality in economic development
The impact of technological change on income inequality
The economics of innovation and intellectual property rights
The effects of financial globalization on emerging markets
The role of infrastructure investment in promoting economic development
The impact of exchange rate policies on international trade and investment
The determinants of consumer credit and debt behavior
The effects of social media and online platforms on market competition
The role of international organizations in global economic governance
The impact of natural disasters on economic development and poverty
The economics of gender inequality and discrimination
The effects of government regulation on business behavior and market outcomes
The role of behavioral economics in understanding market behavior
The impact of public investment on economic growth and social welfare
The determinants of household saving and investment behavior
The economics of renewable energy and clean technology adoption
The effects of economic sanctions on international trade and investment
The role of information and communication technologies in economic development
The impact of globalization on income distribution and poverty
The economics of international migration and remittances.
The effects of income inequality on economic development
An analysis of the efficiency of market structures in different industries
The role of technology in economic growth and development
The impact of international trade on economic development
An investigation into the determinants of inflation
The effects of labor market regulations on employment and productivity
An analysis of the relationship between economic growth and environmental sustainability
The role of institutions in economic development
The impact of foreign aid on economic development
The effects of taxation on economic growth
An investigation into the factors that contribute to economic fluctuations
The effects of globalization on income distribution
The impact of education on economic growth and development
The role of infrastructure in economic development
The effects of trade liberalization on economic growth
An analysis of the impact of exchange rates on trade and investment
The relationship between innovation and economic growth
The impact of government policies on the agricultural sector
The effects of corruption on economic development
An investigation into the effects of demographic changes on economic growth
The impact of financial crisis on economic growth
The effects of foreign direct investment on economic growth
An analysis of the effects of natural resources on economic development
The impact of healthcare on economic growth
The effects of international migration on the economy
The relationship between poverty and economic development
The role of infrastructure in promoting economic growth
An investigation into the effects of regional economic integration
The impact of foreign trade on economic development
The effects of government regulation on economic growth
An analysis of the role of technology in improving economic efficiency
The impact of population growth on economic development
The effects of government spending on income inequality
The role of the financial system in economic growth
The impact of energy policies on economic development
An investigation into the effects of intellectual property rights on economic growth
The effects of trade on labor markets
The role of social capital in economic development
The effects of regional inequality on economic development
An analysis of the impact of financial market development on economic growth
The impact of international trade on technological progress
The effects of financial regulation on economic growth
The role of institutions in promoting entrepreneurship
The impact of healthcare policies on economic growth
An investigation into the effects of income redistribution on economic growth.

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Economics →

01 Apr 2024
In Practice

Navigating the Mood of Customers Weary of Price Hikes

Price increases might be tempering after historic surges, but companies continue to wrestle with pinched consumers. Alexander MacKay, Chiara Farronato, and Emily Williams make sense of the economic whiplash of inflation and offer insights for business leaders trying to find equilibrium.

29 Jan 2024
Research & Ideas

Do Disasters Rally Support for Climate Action? It's Complicated.

Reactions to devastating wildfires in the Amazon show the contrasting realities for people living in areas vulnerable to climate change. Research by Paula Rettl illustrates the political ramifications that arise as people weigh the economic tradeoffs of natural disasters.

10 Jan 2024

Technology and COVID Upended Tipping Norms. Will Consumers Keep Paying?

When COVID pushed service-based businesses to the brink, tipping became a way for customers to show their appreciation. Now that the pandemic is over, new technologies have enabled companies to maintain and expand the use of digital payment nudges, says Jill Avery.

17 Aug 2023

‘Not a Bunch of Weirdos’: Why Mainstream Investors Buy Crypto

Bitcoin might seem like the preferred tender of conspiracy theorists and criminals, but everyday investors are increasingly embracing crypto. A study of 59 million consumers by Marco Di Maggio and colleagues paints a shockingly ordinary picture of today's cryptocurrency buyer. What do they stand to gain?

15 Aug 2023

Why Giving to Others Makes Us Happy

Giving to others is also good for the giver. A research paper by Ashley Whillans and colleagues identifies three circumstances in which spending money on other people can boost happiness.

13 Mar 2023

What Would It Take to Unlock Microfinance's Full Potential?

Microfinance has been seen as a vehicle for economic mobility in developing countries, but the results have been mixed. Research by Natalia Rigol and Ben Roth probes how different lending approaches might serve entrepreneurs better.

23 Jan 2023

After High-Profile Failures, Can Investors Still Trust Credit Ratings?

Rating agencies, such as Standard & Poor’s and Moody's, have been criticized for not warning investors of risks that led to major financial catastrophes. But an analysis of thousands of ratings by Anywhere Sikochi and colleagues suggests that agencies have learned from past mistakes.

29 Nov 2022

How Much More Would Holiday Shoppers Pay to Wear Something Rare?

Economic worries will make pricing strategy even more critical this holiday season. Research by Chiara Farronato reveals the value that hip consumers see in hard-to-find products. Are companies simply making too many goods?

21 Nov 2022

Buy Now, Pay Later: How Retail's Hot Feature Hurts Low-Income Shoppers

More consumers may opt to "buy now, pay later" this holiday season, but what happens if they can't make that last payment? Research by Marco Di Maggio and Emily Williams highlights the risks of these financing services, especially for lower-income shoppers.

01 Sep 2022
What Do You Think?

Is It Time to Consider Lifting Tariffs on Chinese Imports?

Many of the tariffs levied by the Trump administration on Chinese goods remain in place. James Heskett weighs whether the US should prioritize renegotiating trade agreements with China, and what it would take to move on from the trade war. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

05 Jul 2022

Have We Seen the Peak of Just-in-Time Inventory Management?

Toyota and other companies have harnessed just-in-time inventory management to cut logistics costs and boost service. That is, until COVID-19 roiled global supply chains. Will we ever get back to the days of tighter inventory control? asks James Heskett. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

09 Mar 2022

War in Ukraine: Soaring Gas Prices and the Return of Stagflation?

With nothing left to lose, Russia's invasion of Ukraine will likely intensify, roiling energy markets further and raising questions about the future of globalization, says Rawi Abdelal. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

10 Feb 2022

Why Are Prices So High Right Now—and Will They Ever Return to Normal?

And when will sold-out products return to store shelves? The answers aren't so straightforward. Research by Alberto Cavallo probes the complex interplay of product shortages, prices, and inflation. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

11 Jan 2022
Cold Call Podcast

Can Entrepreneurs and Governments Team Up to Solve Big Problems?

In 2017, Shield AI’s quadcopter, with no pilot and no flight plan, could clear a building and outpace human warfighters by almost five minutes. It was evidence that autonomous robots could help protect civilian and service member lives. But was it also evidence that Shield AI—a startup barely two years past founding—could ask their newest potential customer, the US government, for a large contract for a system of coordinated, exploring robots? Or would it scare them away? Harvard Business School professor Mitch Weiss and Brandon Tseng, Shield AI’s CGO and co-founder, discuss these and other challenges entrepreneurs face when working with the public sector, and how investing in new ideas can enable entrepreneurs and governments to join forces and solve big problems in the case, “Shield AI.” Open for comment; 0 Comments.

06 May 2021

How Four Women Made Miami More Equitable for Startups

A case study by Rosabeth Moss Kanter examines what it takes to break gender barriers and build thriving businesses in an emerging startup hub. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

20 Apr 2021
Working Paper Summaries

The Emergence of Mafia-like Business Systems in China

This study sheds light on the political pathology of fraudulent, illegal, and corrupt business practices. Features of the Chinese system—including regulatory gaps, a lack of formal means of property protection, and pervasive uncertainty—seem to facilitate the rise of mafia systems.

02 Feb 2021

Nonprofits in Good Times and Bad Times

Tax returns from millions of US nonprofits reveal that charities do not expand during bad times, when need is the greatest. Although they are able to smooth the swings of their activities more than for-profit organizations, nonprofits exhibit substantial sensitivity to economic cycles.

01 Feb 2021

Has the New Economy Finally Arrived?

Economists have long tied low unemployment to inflation. James Heskett considers whether the US economic policy of the past four years has shaken those assumptions. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

06 Jan 2021

Aggregate Advertising Expenditure in the US Economy: What's Up? Is It Real?

We analyze total United States advertising spending from 1960 to 2018. In nominal terms, the elasticity of annual advertising outlays with respect to gross domestic product appears to have increased substantially beginning in the late 1990s, roughly coinciding with the dramatic growth of internet-based advertising.

11 Dec 2020

Economic Jitters Push Pandemic Job Seekers to Big Companies, Not Startups

Small companies are receiving fewer applications, particularly from experienced professionals, according to research by Shai Bernstein and colleagues. How can startups overcome pandemic fears and compete for talent? Open for comment; 0 Comments.

134 Economics Thesis Topics: Ideas for Outstanding Writing

Writing a thesis is not an easy task. For most of the students, it can be even intimidating, especially when you do not know where to start your research.

Here, we have provided an economics thesis topics list. After all, everyone knows that choosing the right idea is crucial when writing an academic paper. In economics, it can combine history, math, social studies, politics, and numerous other subjects. You should also have solid foundations and a sound factual basis for a thesis. Without these elements, you won’t be able to master your research paper.

The issue is:

It is not always clear what could be seen as an excellent economics thesis topic. Our experts can assist you with this challenge. This list contains some outstanding examples to get you started.

⭐ Thesis in Economics
🔥 Supreme Thesis Topics
👍 Bachelor’s Thesis
😲 Master’s Thesis

📊 Microeconomics

📈 macroeconomics.

🤔 Developmental
👨‍💼 Behavioral
💼 Financial
🌱 Agricultural
🤝‍ Sociology
📚 Ph.D. Topics
📝 How to Pick a Topic

⭐ What Does a Thesis in Economics Look Like?

A good thesis in economics is a blend between an empirical paper and a theoretical one. One of the essential steps in choosing a topic in economics is to decide which one you will write.

You may write, research, analyze statistical data and other information. Or build and study a specific economic model.

Or why not both!

Here are some questions you can ask when deciding what topic to choose:

What has already been written on this topic?
What economic variables will my paper study?
Where should I look for the data?
What econometrics techniques should I use?
What type of model will I study?

The best way to understand what type of research you have to do is to write a thesis proposal. You will most probably be required to submit it anyway. Your thesis supervisor will examine your ideas, methods, list of secondary and primary sources. At some universities, the proposal will be graded.

Master’s thesis and Bachelor’s thesis have three main differences.

After you get the initial feedback, you will have a clear idea of what to adjust before writing your thesis. Only then, you’ll be able to start.

🔥 Supreme Economics Thesis Topics List

Fast fashion in India.
The UK housing prices.
Brexit and European trade.
Behavioral economics.
Healthcare macroeconomics.
COVID-19’s economic impact.
Global gender wage gap.
Commodity dependence in Africa.
International trade – developing countries.
Climate change and business development.

👍 Economics Bachelor’s Thesis Topics

At the U.S. Universities, an undergraduate thesis is very uncommon. However, it depends on the Department Policy.

The biggest challenge with the Bachelor’s Thesis in economics concerns its originality. Even though you are not required to conduct entirely unique research, you have to lack redundant ideas.

You can easily avoid making this mistake by simply choosing one of these topics. Also, consider visiting IvyPanda essays database. It’s a perfect palce to conduct a brainstorming session and come up with fresh ideas for a paper, as well as get tons of inspiration.

The impact of the oil industry on the economic development of Nigeria. The oil industry is vital for the economic development of Nigeria. In this thesis, students can discuss the notion of the resource curse. Analyze the reasons why general people are not benefiting from the oil industry. Why did it produce very little change in the social and economic growth of the country?
Sports Marketing and Advertising: the impact it has on the consumers.
Economic opportunities and challenges of investing in Kenya .
Economic Development in the Tourism Industry in Africa. Since the early 1990s, tourism significantly contributed to the economic growth of African countries. In this thesis, students can talk about the characteristics of the tourist sector in Africa. Or elaborate on specific countries and how their national development plans look like.
Globalization and its significance to business worldwide .
Economic risks connected to investing in Turkey .
The decline in employment rates as the biggest American economy challenge .
The economics of alcohol abuse problems. In this thesis, students can develop several essential issues. First, they can examine how poverty is connected to alcohol abuse. Second, they can see the link between alcohol consumption and productivity. To sum up, students can elaborate on the economic costs of alcohol abuse.
Causes and solutions for unemployment in Great Britain.
Parallel perspective on Global Economic Order: China and America. This thesis can bring a comparative analysis of the economies to a new level. China and The US are the world’s two largest economies. These two countries have a significant impact on the global economic order. So, looking at the set of institutions, policies, rules can be constructive.
The new international economic order after COVID-19
Financial stability of the banking sector in China.
New Electronic Payment Services in Russia.
The influence of culture on different entrepreneurial behaviors.
The impact of natural cultural practices on entrepreneurial activity.
The relationships between national culture and individual behavior.
The main reasons for salary inequalities in different parts of the U.S.

😲 Economics Master’s Thesis Topics

Student life can be fascinating, but it comes with its challenges. One of which is selecting your Master’s thesis topic.

Here is a list of topics for a Master’s thesis in economics. Are you pursuing MPhil in Economics and writing a thesis? Use the following ideas as an inspiration for that. They can also be helpful if you are working on a Master’s thesis in financial economics.

The impact of visual aid in teaching home economics.
The effect of income changes in consumer behaviors in America.
Forces behind socio-economic inequalities in the United States. This thesis can explore three critical factors for socio-economic differences in the United States. In the past 30 years, social disparities increased in the United States. Some of the main reasons are technology, trade, and institutions.
The relationships between economic growth and international development.
Technological innovations and their influence on green and environmental products.
The economics of non-solar renewable energy .

Renewable energy is beneficial for various economic reasons.

The economic consequences of terrorism . Terrorism not only takes away lives and destroys property but also widely affects the economy. It creates uncertainty in the market, increases insurance claims, slows down investment projects, and tourism. This thesis can address all of the ways in which terrorism can affect economies.
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) implementation in the Oil and Gas Industry in Africa.
Use of incentives in behavioral economics.
Economic opportunities and challenges of sustainable communities .
Economics of nuclear power plants.
Aid and financial help for emerging markets. This topic is very versatile. Students can look at both the positive and the adverse effects that funding has on the development. There are plenty of excellent examples. Besides, some theories call international help a form of neocolonialism.
Multinational firms impact on economic growth in America .
The effect of natural disasters on economic development in Asia.
The influence of globalization on emerging markets and economic development.

📑 More Economics Thesis Topics: Theme

For some students, it makes more sense to center their search around a certain subject. Sometimes you have an econ area that interests you. You may have an idea about what you want to write, but you did not decide what it will be.

If that’s the case with you, then these economics thesis topics ideas are for you.

An analysis of the energy market in Russia.
The impact of game theory on economic development.
The connection between minimum wage and market equilibrium.
Gender differences in the labor market in the United States. This topic can shed light on gender differences in the labor market in the United States. In the past years, the overall inequality in labor in the markets decreased. However, there is still a lot of work that can be done.
Economic reasons that influence the prices of oil .
Relationship between the Lorenz curve and the Gini coefficient.
Challenges of small businesses in the market economy.
The changes in oil prices: causes and solutions . Universal economic principles do not always apply to the sale and purchase of the oil. The same happens with its cost. In the thesis, talk about what affects the prices. What are the solutions that can be implemented?
The economic analysis of the impact of immigration on the American economy.

Immigration has a little long-run effect on Americans’ wages.

Economic inequality as a result of globalization . Economic inequality becomes even more apparent on the global level. There is a common belief that globalization is the cause of that. Discuss what can be the solutions to these problems. This topic is vital to minimize the gap between the rich and the poor.
The economic explanation of political dishonesty .
Effect of Increasing Interest rates costs in Africa .
The connection between game theory and microeconomics.
Marketing uses in microeconomics.
Financial liability in human-made environmental disasters.
Banks and their role in the economy. Banks are crucial elements of any economy, and this topic covers why. You can explain how banks allow the goods and services to be exchanged. Talk about why banks are so essential for economic growth and stability.
Inflation in the US and ways to reduce its impact.
The connection between politics and economics.
Income Dynamics and demographic economics.
US Market Liquidity and macroeconomics.
Macroeconomics and self-correction of the economy .
The American economy, monetary policy, and monopolies .
The importance of control in macroeconomics. One of the central topics in macroeconomics is grouped around the issue of control. It is quite reasonable that control over money and resources should become a topic of discussion.
Analysis of Africa’s macroeconomics and its performance.
Economics of education in developing markets.
Problems and possible solutions for Japan macroeconomics .
Comparative analysis of British macroeconomics concerning the US .
Public policies and socio-economic disparities.
The world problems through macroeconomic analysis. Indeed, macroeconomics is very complicated. There are many influences, details, and intricacies in it. However, it allows economists to use this complex set of tools to examine the world’s leading problems today.

There are four main problems in macroeconomics.

The connection between employment interest and money.

🤔 Development Economics

Economics of development . This topic is very rich in content. First, explain what it is. Then pay particular attention to domestic and international policies that affect development, income distribution, and economic growth.
The relation between development and incentive for migration.
The impact of natural disasters on the economy and political stability of emerging markets.
The economic consequences of population growth in developing countries.
The role of industrialization in developing countries . The industrialization has been connected with the development. It promotes capital formation and catalyzes economic growth in emerging markets. In this thesis, you can talk about this correlation.
Latin American economic development.
Gender inequality and socio-economic development .
Problems of tax and taxation in connection with economic growth.
The economic impact of terrorism on developing markets.
Religious decline as a key to economic development. Not everyone knows, but a lot of research has been done in the past years on the topic. It argues that decreased religious activity is connected with increased economic growth. This topic is quite controversial. Students who decide to write about it should be extra careful and polite.

👨‍💼 Behavioral Economics

Risk Preferences in Rural South Africa.
Behavioral Economics and Finance .
Applied behavioral economics in marketing strategies. If you want to focus your attention on marketing, this topic is for you. Behavioral economics provides a peculiar lens to look at marketing strategies. It allows marketers to identify common behaviors and adapt their marketing strategies.
The impact of behavioral finance on investment decisions.
Behavioral Economics in Child Nutrition Programs in North Texas.
Guidelines for Behavioral Economics in Healthcare Sector.
Cognitive and behavioral theories in economics .
Cross-cultural consumer behavior and marketing communication. Consumers are not only affected by personal characteristics, but also by the culture they are living in. This topic focuses on the extent it should determine marketing strategy and communication.
Behavior implications of wealth and inequality.

The richest population holds a huge portion of the national income.

Optimism and pessimism for future behavior.

💼 Financial Economics

Financial Economics for Infrastructure and Fiscal Policy .
The use of the economic concept of human capital. Students can focus on the dichotomy between human and nonhuman capital. Many economists believe that human capital is the most crucial of all. Some approach this issue differently. Therefore, students should do their research and find where they stand on this issue.
The analysis of the global financial crisis of 2020s. Share your thoughts, predictions, ideas. Analyze the economic situation that affects almost everyone in the world. This thesis topic will be fresh and original. It can help to start a good and fruitful conversation.
The big data economic challenges for Volvo car.
The connection between finance, economics, and accounting.
Financial economics: Banks competition in the UK .
Risk-Taking by mutual funds as a response to incentives.
Managerial economics and financial accounting as a basis for business decisions.
Stock market overreaction.

🌱 Agricultural Economics

Agricultural economics and agribusiness.
The vulnerability of agricultural business in African countries.
Agricultural economics and environmental considerations of biofuels .
Farmer’s contribution to agricultural social capital.
Agricultural and resource economics. Agricultural and resource economics plays a huge role in development. They are subdivided into four main characteristics which in this topic, students can talk about: – mineral and energy resources; – soil resources, water resources; – biological resources. One or even all of them can be a focus of the thesis.
Water as an economic good in irrigated agriculture.
Agriculture in the economic development of Iran.
The US Agricultural Food Policy and Production .
Pesticides usage on agricultural products in California.

The region of greatest pesticide use was San Joaquin Valley.

An analysis of economic efficiency in agriculture. A lot of research has been done on the question of economic efficiency in agriculture. However, it does not mean there is no place for your study. You have to read a lot of secondary sources to see where your arguments can fit.

🤝‍Economic Sociology

Theory, approach, and method in economics sociology.
Economic sociology of capitalism. While economists believe in the positive effect capitalism has on the economy, the social effect is quite different. The “economic” part of the issue has been studied a lot. However, the sociology of it has been not. This thesis can be very intriguing to read.
Political Economy and Economic Sociology.
Gender and economic sociology .
Progress, sociology, and economics.
Data analysis in economics, sociology, environment .
Economic sociology as a way to understand the human mind.
Economic sociology of money.
Economics, sociology, and psychology of security.
Major principles of economic sociology. In the past decade, economic sociology became an increasingly popular field. Mainly due to it giving a new view on economics, human mind, and behavior. Besides, it explores relationships between politics, law, culture, and gender.

📚 The List of Ph.D. Topics in Economics

If you decide to go to grad school to do your Masters, you will likely end up getting a Ph.D. as well. So, with this plan in mind, think about a field that interests you enough during your Masters. Working with the same topic for both graduate degrees is easier and more effective.

This list of Ph.D. Topics in Economics can help you identify the areas you can work on.

Occupational injuries in Pakistan and its effect on the economy. Injuries are the leading cause of the global burden of disability. Globally, Pakistan was ranked 9th populated country with a large number of unskilled workers. In this dissertation, consider the link between occupational injuries and their effects on the economy.
The study of the Philippines’ economic development.

The Philippine economy is projected to continue on its expansionary path.

Financial derivatives and climate change .
Econometric Analysis of Financial Markets.
Islamic Banking and Financial Markets .
Health economics and policy in the UK.
Health insurance: rationale and economic justification. In this dissertation, students can find different ways to explain and justify health insurance. Starting to philosophical to purely economic grounds. In the past years, there was a lot of discussion regarding the healthcare system for all. What are some of the economic benefits of that?
Colombian economy, economic growth, and inequality.
Benefits of mergers and acquisitions in agribusiness.
Methods to measure financial risks when investing in Africa.
The significance of financial economics in understanding the relationship between a country’s GDP and NDP.
Network effects in cryptocurrency. Cryptocurrencies are not new anymore. However, it is still an original subject for a dissertation. Students can decide to choose several crypto coins and evaluate the importance of the network effect. This effect is particularly significant for Bitcoin. Explain why.
The comparison of the Chinese growth model with the American growth model.
An economic justification versus political expediency.
Pollution Externalities Role in Management Economics .

📝 How to Select an Economics Thesis Topic

As your academic journey is coming to an end, it’s time to pick the right topic for your thesis. The whole academic life you were preparing to undertake this challenge.

Here is the list of six points that will help you to select an economics thesis topic:

Make sure it is something you are genuinely interested in. It is incredibly challenging to write something engaging if you are not interested in the topic. So, choose wisely and chose what excites you.
Draw inspiration from the previous student’s projects. A great place to start is by looking at what the previous students wrote. You can find some fresh ideas and a general direction.
Ask your thesis advisor for his feedback. Most probably, your thesis advisor supervised many students before. They can be a great help too because they know how to assess papers. Before meeting with your professor, do some basic research, and understand what topic is about.
Be original, but not too much. You do not want to spend your time writing about a project that many people wrote about. Your readers will not be interested in reading it, but your professors as well. However, make sure you do not pick anything too obscure. It will leave you with no secondary sources.
Choose a narrow and specific topic. Not only will it allow you to be more original, but also to master a topic. When the issue is too broad, there is just too much information to cover in one thesis.
Go interdisciplinary. If you find yourself interested in history, philosophy, or any other related topic, it can help you write an exceptional thesis in economics. Most of your peers may work on pure economics. Then, the interdisciplinary approach can help you to stand out among them.

Some universities ask their students to focus on topics from one discipline.

Thank you for reading the article to the end! We hope this list of economics thesis topics ideas could help you to gather your thoughts and get inspired. Share it with those who may find it useful. Let us know what you think about it in the comment section below.

🔗 References

Economics Thesis Topics List: Seminars Only
How To Pick A Topic For Your Economics Research Project Or Master’s Thesis: INOMICS, The Site for Economists
What Do Theses and Dissertations Look Like: KU Writing Center, the University of Kansas
Writing Economics: Robert Neugeboren with Mireille Jacobson, University of Harvard
Economics Ph.D. Theses: Department of Economics, University of Sussex Business School, IDEAS_RePEc
World Economic Situation and Prospects 2018: United Nations
Undergraduate Honors Theses: Department of Economics, University of California, Berkeley
Economics Department Dissertations Collection: Economics Department, University of Massachusetts Amherst
Topics for Master Theses: Department of Economics, NHH, Norwegian School of Economics
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What Are Economics Research Topics?

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51+ Economics Project Topics [Updated]

Economics may sound like a daunting subject, but it’s all around us, influencing every aspect of our lives. Economic projects delve into various aspects of how societies produce, distribute, and consume products or goods and services. Whether you’re a student looking for compelling economics project topics or someone curious about the world of economics, this guide will walk you through some fascinating areas to explore.

How Do You Write An Economic Project?

Table of Contents

Writing an economic project involves several steps to effectively research, analyze, and present your findings. Here’s a general guide on how to write an economic project:

Choose a Topic: Choose an economic subject that captures your interest and is in line with the requirements of your assignment or the objectives of your research. It could be a macroeconomic trend, a microeconomic analysis, or a specific area like environmental economics or development economics.
Conduct Research: Collect pertinent data and information from credible sources like scholarly journals, government reports, economic repositories, and literature. Make sure to critically evaluate the credibility and reliability of your sources.
Outline Your Project: Create an outline that organizes your ideas and arguments logically. Include sections such as introduction, literature review, methodology, findings, discussion, and conclusion.
Write the Introduction: Begin with an introduction that provides background information on your topic, states the purpose of your project, and outlines the structure of your paper.
Review the Literature: Perform a thorough examination of existing literature and theories pertinent to your subject matter through a literature review. Identify any deficiencies or areas lacking sufficient research that your project intends to fill.
Develop a Methodology: Describe the methods you used to collect and analyze data. This may include quantitative techniques such as econometric modeling or qualitative approaches like case studies or interviews.
Present Your Findings: Present the results of your analysis in a clear and organized manner. Use tables, charts, and graphs to illustrate key findings and trends.
Discuss Your Results: Interpret the implications of your findings and discuss their significance in relation to existing literature and theoretical frameworks. Address any limitations or constraints of your study.
Draw Conclusions: Provide a condensed overview of your project’s key discoveries and derive conclusions from your analysis. Consider the broader implications of your research and suggest areas for further study.
Write the Conclusion: Conclude your project by restating the main points and highlighting the contribution of your research to the field of economics. Discuss any practical implications or policy recommendations arising from your findings.
Cite Your Sources: Make sure to cite all sources properly used in your project according to the appropriate citation style (e.g., APA, MLA, Chicago).
Proofread and Edit: Finally, carefully proofread your project to check for errors in grammar, spelling, and formatting. Ensure that your writing is clear, concise, and coherent.

By following these steps, you can effectively write an economic project that demonstrates your understanding of economic concepts, analytical skills, and ability to communicate research findings effectively.

51+ Economics Project Topics: Category Wise

Macroeconomic topics.

The Impact of Fiscal Policy on Economic Growth
Analyzing the Effects of Monetary Policy on Inflation
Evaluating the Relationship Between Exchange Rates and Export Performance
Assessing the Role of Government Spending in Stimulating Aggregate Demand
Examining the Causes and Consequences of Economic Recessions

Microeconomic Topics

Market Structure Analysis: A Case Study of the Smartphone Industry
Consumer Behavior and Preferences in the Fast Food Industry
The Impact of Price Elasticity on Revenue in the Airline Industry
Producer Surplus and Profit Maximization in Competitive Markets
Analyzing Market Failures and the Need for Government Intervention

International Economics Topics

The Effects of Trade Liberalization on Developing Countries
Exchange Rate Volatility and Its Impact on International Trade
Globalization and Its Effects on Income Inequality
Trade Policies and Their Influence on Foreign Direct Investment
Comparative Advantage and Specialization in International Trade

Environmental Economics Topics

The Economics of Renewable Energy Adoption
Carbon Pricing and Its Implications for Climate Change Mitigation
Economic Valuation of Ecosystem Services
Environmental Regulations and Firm Behavior: A Case Study Approach
The Role of Economics in Biodiversity Conservation Efforts

Development Economics Topics

Microfinance and Poverty Alleviation: Lessons from Case Studies
The Impact of Education on Economic Development
Evaluating the Effectiveness of Conditional Cash Transfer Programs
Gender Inequality and Economic Development: An Empirical Analysis
The Role of Foreign Aid in Promoting Sustainable Development

Behavioral Economics Topics

Behavioral Biases in Consumer Decision-Making: A Experimental Study
Nudge Theory and Its Applications in Public Policy
Prospect Theory and Risk Preferences in Investment Decisions
The Influence of Social Norms on Economic Behavior
Behavioral Economics Approaches to Addressing Climate Change

Econometrics and Quantitative Analysis Topics

Time-Series Analysis of Stock Market Volatility
Regression Analysis of Factors Affecting Housing Prices
Forecasting Macroeconomic Indicators Using Machine Learning Techniques
Panel Data Analysis of Regional Economic Disparities
Causal Inference Methods in Economic Research

Policy Analysis and Evaluation Topics

Cost-Benefit Analysis of Infrastructure Projects
Evaluating the Impact of Minimum Wage Policies on Employment
Welfare Effects of Tax Reform: A Microsimulation Approach
Policy Responses to Economic Shocks: Lessons from the COVID-19 Pandemic
Assessing the Effectiveness of Anti-Poverty Programs in Developing Countries

Monetary Economics Topics

The Transmission Mechanism of Monetary Policy
Central Bank Independence and Inflation Targeting
Quantitative Easing and Its Effects on Financial Markets
The Role of Interest Rates in Determining Investment Decisions
Digital Currencies and the Future of Monetary Policy

Labor Economics Topics

The Economics of Immigration: Impacts on Labor Markets
Gender Wage Gap: Causes and Policy Implications
The Effects of Automation on Employment Patterns
Labor Market Dynamics and Unemployment Duration
Evaluating the Impact of Minimum Wage Laws on Poverty

Health Economics Topics

The Economics of Healthcare Financing Systems
Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Healthcare Interventions
The Impact of Health Insurance Coverage on Healthcare Utilization
Behavioral Economics Approaches to Promoting Healthier Lifestyles
Healthcare Market Competition and Patient Outcomes: Evidence from Empirical Studies

What To Avoid For Economics Projects?

When working on economics projects, it’s essential to be aware of common pitfalls to avoid. Here’s a list of things to steer clear of:

Lack of Clarity in Research Question: Ensure your research question is clear, specific, and well-defined. Avoid ambiguity or broad topics that make it difficult to focus your research.
Poor Data Quality: Avoid using unreliable or outdated data sources. Ensure your data is accurate, relevant, and obtained from reputable sources.
Ignoring Assumptions: Be transparent about the assumptions underlying your analysis. Ignoring or glossing over assumptions can weaken the validity of your findings.
Overly Complex Models: While sophisticated models can be impressive, avoid unnecessarily complex models that obscure key relationships or make interpretation difficult.
Ignoring Alternative Explanations: Consider alternative explanations for your findings and address potential counterarguments. Ignoring alternative explanations can weaken the credibility of your analysis.
Misinterpreting Correlation as Causation: Be cautious when interpreting correlations as causation. Correlation does not imply causation, so ensure you have robust evidence to support causal claims.
Ignoring Feedback Effects: Consider feedback effects and dynamic interactions between variables in your analysis. Ignoring feedback effects can lead to biased or misleading conclusions.
Ignoring Heterogeneity: Recognize heterogeneity within the population or sample under study. Ignoring heterogeneity can lead to overgeneralization of results.
Overlooking Endogeneity: Be mindful of endogeneity issues, where the relationship between variables is bidirectional or influenced by unobserved factors. Addressing endogeneity requires careful modeling and appropriate techniques.
Inadequate Literature Review: Conduct a thorough literature review to situate your research within the existing literature. Avoid overlooking relevant studies or failing to acknowledge prior research.
Inadequate Discussion of Limitations: Acknowledge the limitations of your study and discuss their implications for the validity and generalizability of your findings.
Poor Presentation and Organization: Ensure your project is well-organized and clearly presented. Avoid cluttered or confusing visuals, inconsistent formatting, or unclear writing.

By avoiding these common pitfalls, you can enhance the quality and credibility of your economics projects and contribute meaningfully to the field of study.

Economics is a dynamic and multifaceted field, offering endless opportunities for exploration and discovery. Whether you’re interested in understanding the forces shaping the global economy or seeking solutions to pressing social issues, there’s a wealth of topics to explore.

By delving into these areas, you’ll gain valuable insights into how economies work and how they can be improved for the benefit of all. So, don’t hesitate to dive into economics project topics and start exploring the fascinating world of economics.

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Engaging Economic Research Topics in 2023: Unraveling Economic Complexities

Are you searching for economic research topics? If yes, then have a close look at some of the best economic research topics to try in 2023.

Economic research is a fundamental component of modern economics, as it provides a framework for understanding the complexities of the global economy. It encompasses a wide range of topics, including macroeconomics, microeconomics, econometrics, and applied economics, each with its own unique set of research questions and methodologies.

Economic research can be conducted using a variety of methods, including theoretical modeling, empirical analysis, and experimental research, and can be used to inform policy-making, advance knowledge, and address real-world economic problems. In this article, we will explore some of the key topics in economic research, including their theoretical underpinnings, research questions, and implications for economic policy and practice.

Whether you are a student, researcher, policymaker, or simply interested in economics, this article will provide an overview of some of the most important and relevant topics in contemporary economic research.

Definition of economic research

Table of Contents

Economic research refers to the application of economic theories and methodologies to study economic issues and problems, such as market behavior, consumer preferences, economic growth, income distribution, and international trade. It involves the use of empirical data, statistical models, and econometric techniques to develop insights into economic phenomena.

Importance of economic research

Economic research is important for several reasons:

Informing policy-making

Economic research can provide insights into the causes and consequences of economic phenomena, and help policymakers identify effective policies and interventions to promote social welfare, economic growth, and sustainability.

Advancing knowledge

Economic research contributes to our understanding of how the economy works, and can help us identify new areas of inquiry and build on existing knowledge.

Supporting innovation

Economic research can inform innovation and entrepreneurship by providing insights into consumer behavior, market dynamics, and technological change.

Addressing real-world problems

Economic research can help address real-world economic problems, such as income inequality, unemployment, and climate change, by identifying effective solutions and policy interventions.

Driving economic growth

Economic research can inform strategies to promote economic growth and development, such as through investment in education, infrastructure, and innovation.

Assessing risks and opportunities

Economic research can help individuals and organizations assess risks and opportunities in the economy, and make informed decisions about investments, financial planning, and other economic activities.

Enhancing accountability

Economic research can help hold individuals and organizations accountable for their economic decisions and actions, by providing evidence and insights into their economic impact.

Informing public discourse

Economic research can help shape public discourse on economic issues, by providing a deeper understanding of the economic implications of policy decisions, technological change, and other factors.

Fostering collaboration

Economic research can foster collaboration between researchers, policymakers, and other stakeholders, by providing a common language and framework for understanding economic issues and identifying shared solutions.

Encouraging critical thinking

Economic research can encourage critical thinking and a deeper understanding of complex economic issues, by challenging assumptions and providing evidence-based insights.

Overall, economic research plays a critical role in informing decision-making and promoting a more just and sustainable global economy.

Economic Research Topics

Have a close look at some of the best economic research topics.

Macroeconomics

Macroeconomics is the study of the economy as a whole, focusing on the aggregate behavior of economic variables such as GDP, inflation, employment, and trade. It aims to understand the causes and consequences of fluctuations in the economy, and to develop policies to stabilize the economy and promote economic growth. It’s not a very easy subject for students to understand, so an A-level economics tutor to understand the concepts better.

Topics for economic research in macroeconomics:

Economic growth and development

Economic growth is the increase in the output of goods and services over time, while development refers to the improvement in the well-being of individuals and societies. Research in this area can focus on factors that contribute to economic growth, such as investment, technology, and human capital , as well as on policies that promote inclusive development.

Inflation and deflation

Inflation is the sustained increase in the general price level of goods and services, while deflation is the opposite, a sustained decrease in the general price level. Research in this area can examine the causes and consequences of inflation and deflation, including their impact on economic growth, employment, and income distribution.

Monetary and fiscal policy

Monetary policy involves the use of interest rates, money supply, and other tools by central banks to influence economic activity, while fiscal policy involves the use of government spending and taxation to achieve economic objectives. Research in this area can examine the effectiveness of these policies, their impact on the economy, and their interaction with each other.

International trade and globalization

International trade refers to the exchange of goods and services between countries, while globalization refers to the integration of economies and societies across borders. Research in this area can examine the effects of trade and globalization on economic growth, income distribution, and employment, as well as on the environment, culture, and political systems.

Unemployment and labor market dynamics

Unemployment is the state of being without a job, while labor market dynamics refer to the behavior of employers and employees in the labor market. Research in this area can examine the causes and consequences of unemployment, the effects of minimum wages and other labor market policies, and the impact of technological change and globalization on the labor market.

Income inequality and poverty

Income inequality refers to the unequal distribution of income among individuals or groups, while poverty refers to the lack of basic necessities of life. Research in this area can examine the causes and consequences of income inequality and poverty, the role of education, health, and social policies in reducing poverty and inequality, and the impact of globalization and technological change on income distribution.

Microeconomics

Microeconomics is the study of individual economic behavior and decision-making, focusing on how individuals and firms interact in markets. It examines the behavior of consumers and producers, the determination of prices and quantities, and the effects of government policies on market outcomes.

Topics for economic research in microeconomics:

Market structures and competition

Market structure refers to the number and size of firms in a market, the degree of product differentiation, and the ease of entry and exit. Research in this area can examine the effects of market structure on competition, innovation, and pricing behavior, as well as the role of antitrust policies in promoting competition.

Consumer behavior and demand

Consumer behavior refers to the choices made by individuals when purchasing goods and services, while demand refers to the quantity of a good or service that consumers are willing and able to buy at a given price. Research in this area can examine the determinants of consumer behavior, the effects of advertising and product differentiation on demand, and the impact of consumer preferences on market outcomes.

Production and cost analysis

Production refers to the process of transforming inputs into outputs, while cost analysis refers to the study of the costs incurred by firms in producing goods and services. Research in this area can examine the determinants of production and cost, the effects of economies of scale and scope on cost, and the impact of technological change on production and cost.

Pricing strategies

Pricing strategies refer to the methods used by firms to set prices for their products or services. Research in this area can examine the determinants of pricing behavior, the effects of price discrimination and bundling on market outcomes, and the impact of pricing strategies on consumer welfare.

Game theory and strategic behavior

Game theory is a branch of economics that studies the behavior of individuals or firms in strategic situations, where the outcome of their actions depends on the actions of others. Research in this area can examine the use of game theory to model strategic interactions, the impact of strategic behavior on market outcomes, and the role of government policies in regulating strategic behavior.

Behavioral economics

Behavioral economics is the study of how psychological and social factors influence economic decision-making. Research in this area can examine the role of cognitive biases and heuristics in economic behavior, the effects of social norms and peer pressure on economic outcomes, and the implications of behavioral economics for public policy.

Econometrics

Econometrics is the application of statistical methods to economic data in order to test economic theories, estimate economic relationships, and make economic forecasts. It is a key tool for empirical research in economics.

Topics for economic research in econometrics

Statistical inference and hypothesis testing

Statistical inference involves making conclusions about population parameters based on sample data, while hypothesis testing involves testing hypotheses about the values of population parameters. Research in this area can examine the use of statistical inference and hypothesis testing in econometric analysis, as well as the limitations and challenges associated with these methods.

Time series analysis

Time series analysis involves the analysis of data that is collected over time, such as economic indicators like GDP, inflation, and unemployment. Research in this area can examine the use of time series methods in econometric analysis, such as autoregressive models and moving average models, as well as the challenges associated with analyzing time series data.

Panel data analysis

Panel data refers to data that is collected on the same individuals or entities over time, such as data on firms or households. Panel data analysis involves using this data to estimate economic relationships and test economic theories. Research in this area can examine the use of panel data methods in econometric analysis, such as fixed effects models and random effects models, as well as the advantages and disadvantages of panel data analysis.

Causal inference and program evaluation

Causal inference involves determining whether a particular treatment or policy intervention caused a particular outcome, while program evaluation involves evaluating the effectiveness of policy interventions. Research in this area can examine the use of causal inference and program evaluation methods in econometric analysis, such as randomized controlled trials and difference-in-differences models, as well as the challenges associated with these methods.

Big data and machine learning in economics

Big data refers to the large volumes of data that are generated in the digital age, while machine learning involves using algorithms to analyze and make predictions based on data. Research in this area can examine the use of big data and machine learning methods in econometric analysis, as well as the challenges associated with analyzing large and complex data sets.

Spatial econometrics

Spatial econometrics is concerned with the analysis of spatially dependent economic variables, such as regional economic growth and urbanization. Research in this area can examine the use of spatial econometric models in econometric analysis, such as spatial autoregressive models and spatial panel models, as well as the challenges associated with analyzing spatial data.

Applied economics

Applied economics involves the application of economic principles and theories to real-world problems and issues. It is concerned with the practical implications of economic research, and often involves interdisciplinary collaborations with other fields, such as public policy, business, and social sciences.

Topics for economic research in applied economics:

Health economics

Health economics is concerned with the analysis of healthcare systems and the economic factors that affect the health of individuals and populations. Research in this area can examine topics such as healthcare financing and insurance, healthcare delivery and organization, healthcare technology and innovation, and the social determinants of health.

Education economics

Education economics is concerned with the analysis of educational systems and the economic factors that affect educational outcomes. Research in this area can examine topics such as education financing and funding, educational inequality and access, education quality and performance, and the impact of education on economic growth and development.

Environmental economics

Environmental economics is concerned with the economic analysis of environmental problems and the policies and mechanisms that can be used to address these problems. Research in this area can examine topics such as climate change, pollution and waste management, natural resource management, and environmental regulation and policy.

Urban economics

Urban economics is concerned with the economic analysis of cities and urban areas, including the economic factors that drive urban growth and development, the impact of urbanization on social and economic outcomes, and the policies and mechanisms that can be used to promote sustainable and inclusive urban development.

Agricultural economics

Agricultural economics is concerned with the economic analysis of the agricultural sector, including the factors that affect agricultural production and productivity, the impact of agricultural policies and programs on rural development and poverty reduction, and the role of agriculture in food security and nutrition.

Development economics

Development economics is concerned with the economic analysis of development processes and the policies and mechanisms that can be used to promote economic growth and development. Research in this area can examine topics such as poverty reduction and social welfare, trade and globalization, financial markets and development, and the role of institutions and governance in development.

In summary, economics research covers a wide range of topics and approaches, including macroeconomics, microeconomics, econometrics, and applied economics.

Some key topics for research in economics include economic growth and development, market structures and competition, statistical inference and hypothesis testing, health economics, education economics, environmental economics, urban economics, agricultural economics, and development economics.

As the world continues to face complex economic challenges, there is a growing need for rigorous and innovative research in economics to inform policy-making and address pressing issues such as inequality, climate change, and technological disruption.

Future research in economics will likely involve interdisciplinary collaborations with other fields such as data science, engineering, and behavioral sciences.

Additionally, there will be an increasing focus on incorporating diverse perspectives and experiences in economic research, as well as addressing issues of ethics and social responsibility in economic analysis.

Overall, the future of economics research holds great potential to contribute to a more just and sustainable global economy.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is economics research.

Economics research involves the application of economic theories and methods to understand and address real-world economic problems and issues. It can involve a range of approaches, from theoretical modeling and econometric analysis to field experiments and case studies.

What are some key areas of economics research?

Some key areas of economics research include macroeconomics, microeconomics, econometrics, and applied economics. Within these areas, researchers may focus on topics such as economic growth, market competition, statistical analysis, health economics, environmental economics, urban economics, and development economics.

Why is economics research important?

Economics research plays a critical role in informing policy-making and decision-making in a range of fields, from government and business to international organizations and non-profit organizations. By providing insights into the causes and consequences of economic phenomena, economics research can help to identify effective policies and interventions to promote social welfare, economic growth, and sustainability.

What are some emerging trends in economics research?

Emerging trends in economics research include a growing focus on interdisciplinary collaborations with other fields, such as data science and behavioral science, as well as an increasing emphasis on incorporating diverse perspectives and experiences into economic analysis.

How is economics research conducted?

Economics research can be conducted using a range of methods, including theoretical modeling, econometric analysis, field experiments, and case studies. Researchers may also use data from a variety of sources, including surveys, administrative records, and experimental data.

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10 Popular Posts on Economic Topics in 2021

What did people most want to know about the economy in 2021?

Inflation and COVID-19’s effects on the economy were top of mind, judging by the popularity of posts on those topics in our On the Economy blog, which offers frequent commentary, analysis and data from our economists and other St. Louis Fed experts. But examinations of longer-run trends, such as employment growth over 20 years, also attracted attention.

For readers of our Open Vault blog, which explains everyday economics and the Fed, the nuts and bolts of topical subjects like central bank digital currency and Fed “tapering” struck a chord, as did a post about the economic concept of externalities, explained with canine and pandemic examples.

Here’s a look at a few of the posts that were among the favorites published from January through Nov. 30.

Inflation Trends

How covid-19 may be affecting inflation.

The changing of U.S. consumer spending patterns during the pandemic may have affected the measurement of inflation, according to an On the Economy post published in February. The Bureau of Labor Statistics gathers information about prices in the U.S., weights the prices and aggregates them for the consumer price index, or CPI. Inflation is measured as the CPI’s rate of growth over a certain period.

But what happens if a certain category of goods or services becomes a bigger, or smaller, part of consumer spending? Based on spending habits in prior years, the official weights might not be the “true” weights in 2020, when social distancing led to more eating at home and less spending in restaurants.

What Are Risks for Future Inflation?

As U.S. inflation surged in 2021, an October On the Economy post identified some upside and downside risks for future inflation. A follow-up post examined whether higher inflation could “be attributed to a small group of goods and services or whether it is a more generalized event.” Looking at the overall price change over the period of the pandemic, “the role of outliers is greatly diminished, revealing that higher inflation is perhaps a broader phenomenon,” the post said.

Economic and Monetary Policy Explainers

Externalities: it’s what pandemics, pollution and puppies have in common.

Externalities are costs and benefits that impact or spill over to someone other than the producer or the consumer of a good or a service. As a June Open Vault post explained, that applies to everything from pandemics to puppies. In a pandemic, a lack of social distancing by one person creates an externality that is negative: a higher risk of infection for everyone. Puppies that only bark at strangers, meanwhile, could provide a positive externality for neighbors as a warning system.

A June Open Vault blog post highlighted the Economic Lowdown series video “Externalities.” What makes pollution a negative externality is explained in this clip.

Here’s What the Fed Means by Tapering

As anticipation built this fall for a Federal Open Market Committee decision to “taper,” so did curiosity about what tapering is. An Open Vault post answered that question: The Fed can turn to large-scale asset purchases when economic conditions warrant, and tapering means reducing the pace of those purchases. The post, published a week after the Nov. 3 announcement of the FOMC’s decision to start tapering, also explained how tapering works.

What Is the Federal Open Market Committee?

Readers curious about what tapering is could have learned earlier in the year about the committee that makes that and other monetary policy decisions. As a February Open Vault post explained, the FOMC is the main monetary policymaking body of the Federal Reserve and is comprised of leaders from around the Federal Reserve System.

People and Places

Older workers accounted for all net employment growth in past 20 years.

Before there was the “Great Resignation,” there was an employment increase: A February On the Economy post said that a rise in employment of people age 60 and older was responsible for U.S. employment growth of 11.8 million from December 2000 to December 2020. (See chart.) Among those workers, the increase in employment is attributed to the group’s population growth and increased employment-to-population ratio.

Cumulative Net Change in the Number of Employed People since December 2000

Line chart from December 2000 to December 2020 shows employment rising more for people age 60 and older than for those under 60.

House Prices Surpass Housing-Bubble Peak on One Key Measure of Value

The steady increase of a house price-to-rent ratio “would imply increasing overvaluation” of houses, a May On the Economy post said. That was the case in early 2021 (using data available through March), when an index measuring the ratio of house prices to rent in the U.S. had risen rapidly over the course of a year and reached its highest level since at least 1975.

Sign up now for the free symposium, which has the theme, “Leading the Way in Challenging Times.” The event will run 6 to 8 p.m. CT on Feb. 23-24. Participants will hear insights from leading economists.

Inspiring Young Women to Pursue Economics

A January Open Vault post previewed a February 2021 event that is “designed to inspire young women and underrepresented minorities who may be interested in econ—and to encourage those pursuing a degree to persist.” The next Women in Economics Symposium is set for Feb. 23-24, 2022.

Money and Finance

Wealth gaps between white, black and hispanic families in 2019.

Across education, family structure and generations, gaps persist between the wealth of white families and that of Black and Hispanic families, the authors of a January On the Economy post found.

For instance, they wrote: “More education was associated with more wealth for all the racial and ethnic groups considered. However, wide gaps remain at every education level, with Black and Hispanic families having less median family wealth than white families with the same education.”

And Black and Hispanic families are less likely than white families to have financial and other assets like homes and businesses, and when they do, those assets were more likely to have lower values.

Navigating the ABCs of CBDCs—Central Bank Digital Currencies

“You’ve likely heard of Bitcoin, Ethereum, or even Dogecoin, but you may not have heard of ‘Fedcoin,’ an informal name some have used for the idea of a digital currency tied to a central bank, namely the Federal Reserve,” a June Open Vault post said. The post highlighted short videos in which a St. Louis Fed economist answered questions on central bank digital currencies, including about possible effects on privacy and bank lending.

Heather Hennerich is a senior editor with the St. Louis Fed External Engagement and Corporate Communications Division.

130 Excellent Economics Research Topics To Consider

Table of Contents

Are you an economics student searching for good topics for your research paper? If yes, then keep on reading this blog. To make the topic selection process easier for you, here we have suggested a list of the best economics research topics on various areas associated with the subject. In addition to that, we have also presented a brief overview of economics research paper topic selection and writing.

Quickly explore the entire list and choose any ideal topic for composing your economics thesis or dissertation.

Economics Research Paper Topic Selection and Writing

Have your professor asked you to submit an economics research paper? If yes, then topic selection is the first step you should do. In case, your supervisors had not suggested any research ideas, make sure to choose a unique economics research topic that you are interested in. The topic you choose should be understandable for you and your readers, and it should also have a wide research scope with the necessary information for crafting a comprehensive research paper or essay.

After you have selected a research topic for your economics assignment, sketch an outline with the research ideas that you have gathered. Then, with the help of the essay outline you have prepared, draft the research paper in a well-structured manner by including the essential elements such as the introduction, body, and conclusion.

The introduction paragraph of your research paper should have a catchy opening sentence, brief background information on the topic, and a strong thesis statement addressing the purpose of your research paper. After the introduction, in the body paragraphs, you should include innovative topic sentences and explain your arguments with supporting evidence in a way to persuade your reader. Then, you should finally close your research paper with an engaging conclusion that contains a brief summary of the main points.

List of the Best Economics Research Paper Topics

You may think that it is easy to choose a research topic for your economics research paper. But actually, it is not. As economics is a complex and broad subject, choosing a perfect research topic from it is a daunting task.

If you are asked to write an economics research paper or essay, then you can prefer to choose a topic from economics research areas such as macroeconomics, microeconomics, behavioral economics, agricultural economics, development economics, financial economics, and so on.

Here, we have sorted different categories of economics topics and have recommended a list of excellent economics research topic ideas for you to consider. Go through the entire list and pick a topic that is ideal for writing academic papers as per your instructor’s requirements.

Agricultural Economics Research Topics

Farmer’s contribution to agricultural social capital.
Agricultural economics and agribusiness.
An analysis of economic efficiency in agriculture.
Agricultural and resource economics.
Agricultural economics and environmental considerations of biofuels.
Analysis of food security and poverty status among households in Ehime Mbano
Role of bank loans and credit facility in financing Nigerian agriculture sector: a case study of Nigeria agricultural cooperative and rural development bank
Evaluation of the impact of micro-finance banks on the South African agriculture sector
How poultry farming is becoming a veritable tool for the economic empowerment of South Africa?
Critical analysis of the problems and prospects of agriculture financing in rural India

Behavioral Economics Research Paper Topics

What does the economy of trust mean?
How does the brain change when a person is striking a great deal?
The impact of economic stability on the social life of a person
The buying capacity and gender
How does race relate to economic power?
Big data and its implications for behavioral economics
The impact of behavioral finance on investment decisions.
Cognitive and behavioral theories in economics.
Behavior implications of wealth and inequality.
Using behavioral economics to help in reducing substance abuse

Development Economics Research Topics

The relation between development and incentive for migration.
The economic consequences of population growth in developing countries.
The determinants of high-performing institutions in emerging economies
The impact of globalization on income distribution in emerging economies
The problems of tax and taxation in connection with economic growth.
The economic impact of terrorism on developing markets.
Investigate the relationship between family planning, labor force, and income fluctuations.
The impact of natural disasters on the economy and political stability of emerging markets.
Budgeting and decision-making by low-income earners in emerging economics
The impact of multinational commodity trading through the development of economic perspective.
Compare and contrast the impact of demand-pull inflation and cost-push inflation on a country’s economy
Discuss the impact of multinational commodity trading through the perspective of development economics
Discuss the concepts of mercantilism, linear stages of growth model, economic nationalism, and structural-change theory
Investigate the relationship between unemployment and fluctuations in national income
Compare and contrast the economic patterns of villages across Papua New Guinea

Environmental Economics Research Paper Topics

Explain the energy markets’ economic potential.
How does global warming affect economic growth?
How technological advancement leads to economic growth
Evolution of economic institutions concerning climate change
Cost-benefit analysis of the regulation of the environment
The economic perspectives of the distribution of natural resources across boundaries
The relationship between financial subsidies and the generation of eco-friendly products
Detailed analysis of the European Union Emission Trading System
Why it’s important to analyze the economics of clean drinking water
How wildlife protection affects the economy

Read more: Outstanding Environmental Science Topics for You to Consider

Financial Economics Research Topics

Risk-taking by mutual funds as a response to incentives.
Financial economics for infrastructure and fiscal policy.
Managerial economics and financial accounting as a basis for business
The analysis of the global financial crisis of 2020
Stock market overreaction.

Health Economics Research Ideas

How do chronic diseases affect the workforce and the economy?
How can public hospitals optimize their revenue collection?
The economics of the pharmaceutical industry
How an unhealthy country translates into a poor country
Is the world’s hunger affected by economics?
How does perfect competition work in the pharmaceutical world?
How does an infectious disease outbreak affect the economy?
Is health insurance important?
How is the economy affected by a smoking ban?

Research Paper Topics on International Trade

What are the gains and losses of international trade for developing countries?
The importance of international trade in developing countries
The relationship between economic growth and international trade
The impact of Brexit on small and middle businesses in the UK
To what extent does a currency union affect trade?
The roles of exchange rate and exchange rate regime in the US export.
To what extent are the gains of less developed countries from trade liberalization exaggerated?
Foreign direct investment in the United States: Determinants and impact
The relationship between foreign direct investment and wages
The effects of the banana crisis on the Jamaican and British economies

Macroeconomics Research Topics

Global recession and factors that contribute to it.
The relationship between Internet connectivity and productivity in the workplace.
The relationship between economic growth and unemployment in your country.
Income Dynamics and demographic economics.
What should our government do to minimize the risks of future default?
The connection between politics and economics.
The world problems through macroeconomic analysis .
US Market Liquidity and Macroeconomics.
The structure, history, and activities of the World Bank.
Economics of education in developing markets.
Public policies and socio-economic disparities.
Banks and their role in the economy.
Problems and possible solutions for Japan macroeconomics.
State regulation of the economy in foreign countries: main models of regulation.
The effect of currency devaluation on small and medium firms
A comparison of the United States unemployment to the rest of the world
The relationship between common stock prices and inflation in your country.
Macroeconomics and self-correction of the economy.
Analysis of Africa’s macroeconomics and its performance.
The implications of Internet banking on bank profitability.

Read more: Best Macroeconomics Research Topics and Ideas for Students

Microeconomics Research Topics

Explain how competition influences the price.
Opportunity costs explained from a microeconomics perspective
Inflation sources and consequences explained
The impact of demonetization on small and medium businesses
The connection between the minimum wage and market equilibrium.
Perfect competition in microeconomics
Theories in microeconomics
The effect of labor force participation on the economy and budget
Economic inequality as a result of globalization.
Explain the balance between supply and demand in microeconomics
Dynamics of the Gini index as a reflection of the problem of inequality in income
Privatization of Public Enterprises and its implications on economic policy and development
How does the stock market work?
The impact of game theory on economic development.
The changes in oil prices: causes and solutions.
Marketing uses in microeconomics.
The economic explanation of political dishonesty.
How company mergers and dissolutions impact the economy
The role of tax collection agencies in microeconomics
Different microeconomic models and how they face the effect of industry conditions

A Few More Microeconomics Research Ideas

How exactly does Uber fit into the economy of trust?
How does a person’s brain alter when they hit a big deal?
missing practical human insights from big data and how this affects the economy.
explaining how supply and demand are balanced in microeconomics
Changes in economic institutions with regard to climate change
Effects of greenhouses on economic growth
Effects of climate change on economic growth
Analysis of the European Union Emission Trading System in great detail
Is resource management for waste scarce? A microeconomics explanation of opportunity costs
Effects of wildlife protection on the economy

Interesting Economics Research Topics

What role does entrepreneurship play in economic development?
How do automation and artificial intelligence affect the labor market?
Discuss the Economics of healthcare systems and policies in developing countries.
Explain the effects of trade agreements on income distribution.
How does foreign aid affect economic development?
Explain the impact of monetary policy on financial markets and inflation.
Discuss the effects of income inequality on social mobility.
How does tax reform impact business investment?
Explain the role of microfinance in alleviating poverty.
How does behavioral economics impact personal savings habits?

Final Words

From the list of economics research topics recommended in this blog, choose any topic of your choice and craft a top-quality research paper or essay. It is not necessary that you need to use the suggested topic as it is, you can also modify the research topic and write your academic paper. In case, you are unsure how to select the right topic and write a persuasive economics research paper, get in touch with us immediately.

We have a team of professional writers who are experts in the field of economics to assist you in drafting a plagiarism-free economics research paper on the best topics as per your requirements on time. Moreover, by taking our economics assignment help service online, you can also submit flawless and well-structured research papers deserving of an A+ grade.

220 Amazing Religious Research Paper Topics and Ideas

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100+ Controversial Research Topics and Ideas to Focus On

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I am an Academic Writer and have affection to share my knowledge through posts’. I do not feel tiredness while research and analyzing the things. Sometime, I write down hundred of research topics as per the students requirements. I want to share solution oriented content to the students.

140 Unique Geology Research Topics to Focus On

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Aerial view of farms in an arid landscape

The 2024 Kuznets Mini-Conference: Agriculture and Development

A mini-conference spotlighting the work of early-career researchers on topics related to the 33rd Kuznets Memorial Lecture, hosted by the Economic Growth Center.

The 2024 Kuznets Mini-Conference, Friday, April 5, 2024

Held in conjunction with the 33rd Kuznets Lecture, the Kuznets Mini-Conference on Agriculture and Development will highlight current work in these areas.

The 33rd Kuznets Memorial Lecture: Structural Change & Declining Agricultural Productivity

Christopher Udry of Northwestern University will deliver the 33rd Annual Kuznets Memorial Lecture on April 4, 2024.

Program Schedule

87 Trumbull St., B120

Papers are linked as available.

7:30-8:00 Breakfast

8:00-8:10 Opening Remarks: Christopher Udry (Northwestern University), 33rd Annual Kuznets Memorial speaker

8:10-9:40 Session 1: " Technology Adoption"

Kyle Emerick (Tufts University): " Targeted Subsidies for Water Conservation in Smallholder Agriculture "
Hope Michelson (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign): " Misperceptions About Input Quality: Fertilizer in Tanzania ”
Brian Dillon (Cornell University): "Technology Adoption After Relaxing Supply and Demand Constraints"

9:40 - 10:00 Coffee Break

10:00 – 11:30 am Session 2: " Input Markets and Rural Poverty"

Lorenzo Casaburi (University of Zurich): " Land Markets and Land Allocation: Evidence from East Africa"
Namrata Kala (MIT): " Mechanizing Agriculture "
Leah Bevis (Ohio State University): “Soils, Stunting, and the Green Revolution in South Asia" (Work in progress. Sources: " Soil Zinc Deficiency and Child Stunting: Evidence from Nepal ", " Soil Micronutrients Linked to Human Health in India ," and a third source in progress

11:30 – 12:15 pm Lunch

12:15 – 1:00 pm Plenary Panel: Doug Gollin (Tufts University), Mark Rosenzweig (Yale University), and Christopher Udry (Northwestern University)

1:00 – 2:30 pm Session 3: " Intermediation and Supply Chains"

Meredith Startz (Dartmouth College): " Search Costs Intermediation and Trade: Experimental Evidence from Ugandan Agricultural Markets ”
Eleanor Wiseman (Stanford University): “ Border Trade and Information Frictions: Evidence from Informal Traders in Kenya ”
Jie Bai (Harvard University): "Demand-side Incentives and Quality Upgrading in Uganda’s Coffee Supply Chain.”

2:30 pm: Concluding Remarks

Watch 32nd Annual Kuznets Memorial Lecture: Changing Harmful Norms

Eliana La Ferrara of Harvard University delivered the 32nd Annual Kuznets Memorial Lecture "Changing Harmful Norms" on March 2, 2023. She discussed new research on how values, beliefs, and biases affect individual outcomes.

Learn more about this research

Christopher Udry's website
The Kuznets Memorial Lectures
Watch the 32nd Kuznets Lecture

EDITORIAL article

This article is part of the research topic.

Towards 2030: Sustainable Development Goal 6: Clean Water and Sanitation. An Educational Perspective

Editorial: Towards 2030: Sustainable Development Goal 6: Clean Water and Sanitation. An Educational Perspective Provisionally Accepted

1 University of Science and Technology of Southern Philippines, Philippines
2 TUHH Hamburg University of Technology, Germany

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) constitute the cornerstone of the ambitious 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. These seventeen goals, envisioned to be achieved by 2030, embody an integrated approach that balances economic, social, and environmental dimensions of sustainability. They are structured around five fundamental pillars:• People: striving to eradicate poverty and hunger, ensuring that all individuals can thrive in a healthy and dignified environment.• Planet: safeguarding the environment while promoting sustainable utilization and management of natural resources.• Prosperity: fostering environmentally sustainable economic growth, mutual prosperity, and providing decent work opportunities for all.• Peace: cultivating peaceful, just, and inclusive societies where human rights and gender equality are upheld.• Partnership: enhancing global solidarity to address inequalities within and between nations, with a focus on the most vulnerable populations. Among these objectives, the sixth SDG, "Ensure access to water and sanitation for all," holds profound significance in advancing global sustainability and well-being. Despite progress in improving access to sanitation and clean drinking water, billions of people still lack these essential services, a situation exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, which highlighted the critical role of hygiene and sanitation in disease prevention. Surprisingly, one in three individuals worldwide lacks access to safe drinking water, while two in five lack basic hand-washing facilities.Moreover, the escalating rate of global water consumption, coupled with challenges such as pollution, scarcity, and ecosystem degradation, underscores the urgency of addressing water-related issues. Tragically, preventable diseases linked to poor water and sanitation access claim the lives of nearly 1,000 children daily, while water-related disasters contribute to a significant portion of natural disaster fatalities. Furthermore, the discharge of over 80% of wastewater into oceans, seas, and rivers without adequate treatment exacerbates environmental degradation.Because of these formidable challenges, the global community finds itself falling short of the targets set forth by Goal 6, signaling an urgent need for a radical acceleration in adopting comprehensive water management strategies. As the clock ticks towards the 2030 deadline, it is evident that mere incremental progress will not suffice. The situation demands a paradigm shift-a concerted effort to overhaul existing practices and embrace innovative solutions that prioritize the equitable distribution, sustainable use, and conservation of water resources.In this critical juncture, education emerges as a beacon of hope and a powerful catalyst for change. Its role extends far beyond the confines of traditional classrooms; it is a force capable of permeating communities, shaping attitudes, and instigating meaningful action. This editorial aims to underscore the indispensable role of education in the pursuit of SDG 6, shedding light on recent research endeavors that illuminate its transformative potential.By delving into the educational dimension of SDG 6, we recognize that education serves as a cornerstone in cultivating a deep understanding of water-related challenges and fostering a sense of collective responsibility towards addressing them. Through targeted educational interventions, individuals can be empowered with the knowledge, skills, and mindset necessary to enact positive change in their communities. From grassroots initiatives to policy advocacy, education equips individuals with the tools to navigate the complexities of water management and champion sustainable practices.Drawing insights from a diverse array of research studies in this Research Topic: Towards 2030: Sustainable Development Goal 6: Clean Water and Sanitation. An Educational Perspective, we aim to showcase the multifaceted impact of education in advancing SDG 6. These studies offer compelling evidence of how educational interventions-from integrating water and sanitation education into curricula to promoting hygiene awareness among primary school students-can yield tangible results in improving access to clean water and sanitation facilities. Furthermore, they highlight the pivotal role of educators in shaping attitudes and behaviors towards water conservation, underscoring the importance of equipping teachers with the necessary knowledge and resources to effectively incorporate sustainability principles into their teaching practices. This study highlights the significance of incorporating water and sanitation education into academic programs, utilizing creative teaching approaches to actively involve students in comprehending water usage and chemical processes, thereby promoting sustainable behaviors.Similarly, Berhanu et al.'s study, "Hand washing practice among public primary school children and associated factors in Harar town, eastern Ethiopia: An institution-based cross-sectional study," underscores the critical link between hygiene behavior and education. By examining handwashing practices among primary school students, the study advocates for targeted educational interventions to promote hygiene awareness, contributing not only to SDG 6 but also to broader public health goals.Insights from "An international study of high school teachers' experience of incorporating water resources in their teaching," authored by Ching Ting Tany Kwee and Luis Miguel Dos Santos, highlight the pivotal role of educators in driving sustainable action. Understanding teachers' motivations and contextual factors can inform pedagogical approaches, promoting a holistic understanding of environmental stewardship among students.Central to these efforts is the cultivation of teachers' understanding of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), as demonstrated in Robin Felix Schonstein and Alexandra Budke's study, "Teaching action competence in education for sustainable development -a qualitative study on teachers' ideas, opinions, attitudes and selfconceptions." By equipping teachers with the knowledge and skills to impart goal-oriented action competence, education becomes a catalyst for empowering students to tackle sustainability challenges effectively.In conclusion, achieving SDG 6 hinges on prioritizing education as a catalyst for change. This involves targeted curriculum enhancements, heightened hygiene awareness, and educator capacity-building. Investing in education is crucial as we move towards 2030, paving the way for a fairer, more resilient, and sustainable future. Key research areas include integrating water and sanitation education into curricula, enhancing educator training, and evaluating hygiene promotion programs in schools. Exploring these avenues offers valuable insights for leveraging education in SDG 6 attainment.

Keywords: Sustainable, development, Goal 6, Water, Sanitation

Received: 22 Mar 2024; Accepted: 08 Apr 2024.

Copyright: © 2024 Cimene, PhD and Otterpohl. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY) . The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

* Correspondence: Dr. Francis Thaise A. Cimene, PhD, University of Science and Technology of Southern Philippines, Cagayan de Oro City, Philippines

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Sierra Leone Records Progress in Human Capital Development - But Requires Sustained Investments to Drive Economic Growth and Reduce Poverty

FREETOWN, March 25, 2024 – Sierra Leone has made commendable strides in improving human capital development with the government demonstrating a strong commitment to enhancing the well-being and productivity of its population through significant investments in health and education, according to a new World Bank report launched today in Freetown. The report also highlights the prioritization of social protection interventions like cash transfers to extremely vulnerable groups as a notable intervention aimed at reducing poverty and building human capital.

The Sierra Leone Human Capital Review: Maximizing Human Potential for Resilience and Inclusive Development , provides critical insights into the country's efforts to foster human capital development and economic growth. The report examines the current state of health, education, and social protection systems in the country and offers recommendations to enhance the effectiveness of human capital investments.

"The future socio-economic stability and prosperity of Sierra Leone is intrinsically linked to the well-being of its people," said Abdu Muwonge, World Bank Country Manager for Sierra Leone . "This report provides a roadmap for the government and its partners to strengthen human capital, which is essential for Sierra Leone to achieve its full economic potential and improve the livelihoods of its citizens."

‘Human Capital Development’ is the first Policy Cluster in the Government of Sierra Leone’s Medium-term National Development Plan (MTNDP) 2019–2023 with increased financing of inputs in key human development sectors such as health and education. The new MTNDP (2024-2030) also prioritizes human capital development among its five key pillars, with food security as the main flagship. This increased commitment towards social sectors has resulted in improvements in health and education outcomes. For example, maternal and under-5 mortality rates, adult survival rates, as well as expected years of schooling have all improved since 2005. The Free Quality Education, launched in 2018, helped to reduce barriers to accessing education with the Education Sector Plan (2022–2026) laying out the core priorities and presenting a road map to achieving the country’s education goals. There have also been improvements in social protection coverage – the flagship social protection initiative, ‘Ep Fet Po’ cash transfer program, financed through the World Bank-supported Social Safety Net (SSN) Project, provides direct financial support to the most vulnerable populations, thereby contributing to the development of a more resilient and capable workforce.

However, Sierra Leone still faces challenges related to low human development outcomes, high poverty rates, and limited access to basic services, the report notes. The country ranks 151 out of 157 countries on the Human Capital Index (HCI). The HCI value is lower than the region’s average, indicating significant challenges in human capital development. The report highlights that only around two-thirds of today’s 15-year-olds can be expected to survive to the age of 60, and about one-quarter of the country’s children are stunted due to chronic malnutrition. Additionally, the HCI measure predicts that a child born today in Sierra Leone can be expected to be only 35% as productive when he or she grows up as the child could have been if he or she had enjoyed complete education and full health.

"The government of Sierra Leone has demonstrated a strong commitment to human capital. This report makes the case that one of the best investments a country can make is investing in its people,” said Ali Ansari, World Bank Senior Economist and one of the lead authors of the report. "A healthy, educated and skilled population is the cornerstone of Sierra Leone's journey towards a resilient, prosperous and inclusive future."

As policy priorities over the short to medium-term, the report emphasizes the need to: (i) prioritize investments in high-impact interventions for foundational learning, health, youth skills and employability; (ii) improve workforce management; (iii) prioritize investments in ensuring a minimum social protection floor for Sierra Leone; (iv) strengthen governance and implementation capacity; and (v) improve national and local level coordination in human capital development. The report also identifies several cross-cutting areas that should be prioritized, including: (i) building resilient and adaptive human development systems; (ii) improving food security; (iii) leveraging technology to enhance service delivery; and (iv) targeting human capital interventions to vulnerable groups, especially adolescent girls, women, youth and the poorest.

The Sierra Leone Human Capital Review is part of the World Bank's broader commitment to supporting countries in their efforts to build strong human capital as a foundation for inclusive growth. This is in line with WBG’s vision of creating a world free of poverty on a livable planet. The report's findings will serve as a valuable resource for policymakers, development partners, and stakeholders working towards a prosperous future for Sierra Leone.

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Researchers envision sci-fi worlds involving changes to atmospheric water cycle

Human activity is changing the way water flows between the Earth and atmosphere in complex ways and with likely long-lasting consequences that are hard to picture.

Land use change is altering where clouds form and how precipitation is distributed. Meanwhile, weather modification activities like cloud seeding are shifting how nations plan for water use in the face of climate change. These and other changes to the planet's atmospheric water cycle were once hard to imagine but are increasingly part of modern water management on the planet.

Colorado State University Assistant Professor Patrick Keys is an expert in climate and societal change. He has been studying these types of issues for years and realized there was a potential gap when it came to understanding -- not only in the public but among the water research community -- the lasting implications of these changes.

To better grasp how those kinds of activities could shape the world, he enlisted water scientists from around the globe to write story-based scenarios about the possible futures humanity is facing but perhaps can't quite comprehend yet. The results were recently published in Global Sustainability as part of a creative pathway to understand atmospheric water research with an eye towards the potential economic and policy issues that may be just beyond the horizon.

The work features striking artist-made images that pair with traditional science fiction narratives as well as alternative story forms like first-person journal entries. Keys said the package offers a wide path -- grounded in science -- to build a shared understanding of future water management activities and problems.

"Stories are everywhere and are an integral part of human life," he said. "They tell you something different from a graph in a research paper. They allow you to explore how people may feel or react to these kinds of changes. This kind of work provides agency for people and an opportunity to consider these changes no matter their background or level of understanding."

Research for this work came in three distinct phases, according to Keys. First, he used computational text analysis to find recurring themes in journal abstracts about the current state of atmospheric water cycle research. He then sorted the data -- identifying clusters of recurring terms against a grid of common economic goods principles for discussion. The goal, he said, was to better describe the ways humans and institutions may interact with the atmospheric water cycle in the future. Specifically: how entities in the future, such as countries or private actors, could eventually act to protect their own resources or how they may leverage advantages to gain access to water as a crucial natural resource in the future.

It's those relationships and interactions, Keys wanted to explore in the third part of this research and where science fiction comes into play.

Science fiction and reality of atmospheric water resources beyond 2050 With a better grip on the potential future relationships of water management in this space, Keys next asked experts to imagine a world that is decades in the future where activities like cloud seeding were common and the long-term results are more apparent.

The result was an exercise in science fiction storytelling with the specific goal of probing reality and envisioning even the weirdest possible outcomes.

"I think we have a sense that some futures are more likely than others, but we need to realize that to adequately cover the possible trajectories our world could head toward, models alone may not cut it," he said. "Especially when we are talking about things that are hard to quantify, like culture or perception, that may wind up playing a large part in the actual outcomes."

To create the narratives Keys hosted a series of workshops with interdisciplinary water experts from all fields and backgrounds and walked them through a 'futures thinking' approach. The experts were not siloed by discipline and topic during the exercise, with the hope of sparking even more creativity. In the end, 10 story-based scenarios were developed and are included in the paper. Keys also worked with the artist Fabio Comin over the course of a year to create the accompanying imagery.

Keys is based in the Department of Atmospheric Science in the Walter Scott, Jr. College of Engineering. He had several partners in the paper including postdoctoral fellow Rekha Warrier from the Human Dimensions of Natural Resources Department at CSU. Other researchers came from the University of California, Davis, the University of California, Los Angeles, the Stockholm Resilience Centre, and the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research.

Keys said he is now using similar approaches for another project with the Colorado Water Center. He added that one of his goals with both projects was to ignite conversations around the water cycle at what is becoming a key moment for action globally.

"These scenarios have an ability to raise interesting questions about policy, regulation and enforcement -- what those all may look like," he said. "This approach can also help us recognize some of the aspects we may not be paying attention to and make better sense of it all."

Environmental Issues
Drought Research
Sustainability
Environmental Policies
Resource Shortage
World Development
STEM Education
Evaporation from plants
Funding policies for science
Water resources
Water scarcity
Sustainable land management
Surface runoff
Scientific misconduct

Story Source:

Materials provided by Colorado State University . Original written by Josh Rhoten. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.

Journal Reference :

Patrick W. Keys, Lan Wang-Erlandsson, Michele-Lee Moore, Agnes Pranindita, Fabian Stenzel, Olli Varis, Rekha Warrier, R. Bin Wong, Paolo D'Odorico, Carl Folke. The dry sky: future scenarios for humanity's modification of the atmospheric water cycle . Global Sustainability , 2024; 7 DOI: 10.1017/sus.2024.9

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Press Release

U.S. Department of Energy Announces $10 Million to Explore Using Plants to Extract Critical Materials from Soil to Support Domestic Supply Chain

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced up to $10 million in funding to explore nickel extraction from soil using plants—a process known as phytomining—to establish a competitive domestic supply chain, supplement conventional mining methods, and reduce nickel imports. Managed by the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E), this effort supports President Biden’s Investing in America agenda to strengthen domestic critical materials supply chains, enhance our economic and national security, and meet the growing demand for critical materials needed to ensure America leads the world in the emerging clean energy economy.

“In order to accomplish the goals laid out by President Biden to meet our clean energy targets, and support our economy and national security, it’s going to take all-hands-on-deck approach and innovative solutions,” said ARPA-E Director Evelyn N. Wang. “By exploring phytomining to extract nickel as the first target critical material, ARPA-E aims to achieve a cost-competitive and low-carbon footprint extraction approach needed to support the energy transition.”

Among the critical materials named in the DOE Critical Materials Assessment (CMA), nickel serves as an ideal target to validate the viability of phytomining in the U.S. due to the large number of documented nickel hyperaccumulation (HA) plants. Nickel is used in the cathodes of lithium-ion batteries present in electric vehicles, consumer electronics, stationary storage, stainless steel, metallurgy, coatings, electroplating, and other alloys. Nickel is crucial to global clean energy technology supply chains and future demand is expected to grow.

The new ARPA-E Exploratory Topic announced today, Plant HYperaccumulators TO MIne Nickel-Enriched Soils (PHYTOMINES) , seeks to spur the technological development of phytomining in the United States that could complement current and future domestic sources of nickel and catalyze phytomining of critical minerals beyond nickel.

The targeted outcomes of PHYTOMINES are:

Technologies could be interventions in the soil or plant microbiome or the development of plant traits that enable the accumulation of nickel at an enhanced rate. ARPA-E envisions these projects as early-stage proof-of-concepts likely to take place in closed or open-air laboratories, greenhouses, or confined fields where light, humidity, and temperature regimes can be fully programmed.
Possible projects include mapping HA species of interest, mineral characteristics in soil, and land ownership data for natural habitats and adjacent areas viable for phytomining, scaling opportunities, and technoeconomic and lifecycle analyses of phytomining projects.

PHYTOMINES encourages partnerships between farmers, scientists, battery manufacturers, steel and mining industries, and more. You can access more information on ARPA-E Exchange .

ARPA-E advances high-potential, high-impact clean energy technologies across a wide range of technical areas that are strategic to America's energy security. Learn more about these efforts and ARPA-E's commitment to ensuring the United States continues to lead the world in developing and deploying advanced clean energy technologies.

Press and General Inquiries: 202-287-5440 [email protected]

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