The shift from linear to circular economic models is gathering momentum around the world. Policymakers, businesses, and researchers increasingly recognize that sustainable growth requires more than just efficient resource use—it demands the creation of closed loops, where materials and products are reused, remanufactured, and recycled rather than discarded. But how does one measure progress toward […]
For anyone who has worked with international economic data, the peculiarities of classification systems are all too familiar. Most analysts have, at some point, encountered the tangle of industry codes that form the backbone of any rigorous study of sectoral growth, trade flows, or productivity. At the global level, the International Standard Industrial Classification (ISIC) […]
Financial crime, and money laundering in particular, remains one of the more persistent and elusive threats to economic stability. It’s a world where obfuscation is the rule, not the exception. Criminals are inventive; they learn, they adapt. Law enforcement and regulators, meanwhile, must continuously refine their tools and methods just to keep pace. Amid this […]
Forecasting sectoral growth remains both an art and a science, even in our era of vast databases and advanced analytics. While aggregate macroeconomic forecasts—GDP, inflation, labor participation—tend to capture headlines, a great deal of economic dynamism actually plays out at the level of individual sectors. For this reason, longitudinal data organized by International Standard Industrial […]
Tourism is a powerful force in modern economies—fueling job creation, entrepreneurship, and regional development. But the real impact of visitor spending is often hard to measure. Too frequently, analysis focuses on headline arrivals or hotel occupancy, missing the broader ripple effects across restaurants, transport, entertainment, and retail. To address this gap, economists have turned to […]
There’s a tendency, even among seasoned economists, to treat ISIC codes as though they exist in a vacuum—neatly separating sectors, sorting economic activity into convenient boxes. But in reality, the landscape of industry is far more layered. Businesses come in all shapes and sizes, wrapped in a range of legal structures that, if we’re honest, […]
Foreign direct investment (FDI) is fiercely competitive. Every country wants its share of new factories, technology parks, or corporate headquarters. Yet success rarely comes from simply lowering taxes or launching glossy ad campaigns. Instead, the most effective investment promotion agencies (IPAs) have learned to speak the language of both global investors and local economic realities. […]
Green finance is now a central theme in both public policy and private investment. The expansion of green bonds, sustainability-linked loans, and climate-focused equity products reflects growing demand for alignment between capital allocation and environmental objectives. Yet for all the momentum, one challenge remains persistent: how to reliably track where the money is going, and […]
For all the advances in global logistics and data analytics, supply chain transparency remains a surprisingly elusive goal. Even the most sophisticated firms, in sectors like electronics, pharmaceuticals, or automotive, frequently struggle to see beyond their first or second-tier suppliers. The consequences are now well understood: sudden shortages, cascading disruptions, and, at times, reputational damage […]
No one doubts the importance of small and medium enterprises—SMEs—in driving employment and economic diversification. They feature in nearly every ministerial speech, every multilateral policy report, and every five-year economic plan. But the persistence of generic, one-size-fits-all support measures suggests a gap: the reality is that SMEs are anything but homogenous. Their challenges differ sharply […]
The informal sector is a defining feature of many economies, especially in low- and middle-income countries. It is a space where millions of people make their livelihoods—often outside the reach of regulation, taxation, and basic legal protections. For governments, the drive to formalize these businesses is both a policy imperative and a formidable challenge. Increasingly, […]
If the integrity of economic data rests on a single pillar, it is probably the accuracy of industry classification. For decades, national statistical agencies have relied on the International Standard Industrial Classification (ISIC) system to bring order to the messy diversity of economic activity. ISIC is now the bedrock of headline statistics—GDP, productivity, employment, wage […]
For decades, the promise of microfinance has captured the imagination of development economists, policymakers, and practitioners alike. Yet while microfinance institutions (MFIs) have expanded access to credit for millions, questions persist about how to make their outreach both broader and deeper—especially in diverse and underserved communities. Increasingly, the International Standard Industrial Classification (ISIC) system is […]
The quest for gender equity in the workforce is often discussed in broad, national terms. But beneath the surface, patterns of female participation diverge sharply by sector—sometimes with persistent, even stubborn, gaps. To make sense of these disparities and design effective interventions, researchers and policymakers have increasingly turned to the International Standard Industrial Classification (ISIC) […]
Urban growth, once regarded simply as a matter of managing population density or expanding infrastructure, is increasingly understood as a dynamic, data-driven process. With the rise of smart cities, local governments and urban planners are embracing new technologies and standards—not only to guide development, but also to foster liveability, sustainability, and economic competitiveness. In this […]
Economic growth, while necessary, does not automatically translate into widespread job creation. For policymakers concerned with both prosperity and social inclusion, the question is not simply “how much will the economy grow?” but rather, “where will the jobs come from?” This is where the concept of employment elasticity—specifically, sectoral employment elasticity measured with ISIC data—becomes […]