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Economics of Obesity: Can Food Taxes Create a Healthier Society?
As the obesity crisis in Britain intensifies, so too does the debate around how to tackle it. With obesity costing the UK an estimated £98 billion annually and placing a significant burden on the...
Australia’s vast natural resources have long positioned it as a global mining giant, but could the nation’s future prosperity lie in something far less tangible? Green hydrogen—hailed as the fuel...
The recent surge in UK prices has sparked significant debate over the justification for these increases, particularly in the context of large corporations wielding power to influence markets and...
Fast Food Frenzy: How Meal Deals are Changing the Game
Fast food giants are currently engaged in an aggressive battle to win over customers through enticing meal deals. The resurgence of these promotions is driven by several economic factors, including...
The Renaissance of English Wine: An Economic Perspective
Several news articles including this one from City AM have reflected recently that the English wine industry is experiencing an unexpected renaissance, with revenues soaring by 15% last year. This...
Riding the Renewable Wave: The Economics of Solar and Wind Power
The greatest barrier to the global energy transition is cost. Despite international consensus on the need to reduce carbon emissions, fossil fuels like oil, coal, and gas continue to dominate,...
The recent decision by the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the Bank of England to reduce the Bank Rate from 5.25% to 5% is a clear indication of the delicate balancing act central banks perform....
Becoming a high-income country is the dream of many nations, but for over 100 countries, this dream faces significant hurdles. According to the World Bank's World Development Report 2024, many...
As the world pivots towards a more sustainable future, Africa stands on the brink of an economic transformation driven by the green economy. A recent report by FSD Africa in collaboration with the...
The concept of a Universal Basic Income (UBI) has captivated thinkers across the political spectrum. It promises a radical shift in the way we think about income distribution, work, and social...
Green Zambia: Financing a liveable future
An excellent article here from the World Bank's blog on financing green investment in copper-rich Zambia.
VoxDev has published new research showing the impact of minimum wages on consumption in the Chinese economy. It is a very useful example of the importance of the marginal propensity to consume when...
How can countries cope with falling birth rates?
This BBC article looks at the implications of a falling birth rate for a developed economy, noting that there are only really two viable solutions. Either ensure that your population remains...
Assessing the Impact of the Pandemic on Well-Being
This Larry Elliott article highlights the external costs of the pandemic, arguing that these weren't factored in to assessments of the costs of the 2020 coronavirus pandemic. He focuses in...
How Singapore Got So Crazy Rich
The Singapore story: how has Singapore grown so rapidly, overtaking the UK and the US in terms of per capita GDP? This Bloomberg clip highlights how its location, and the classic approach of moving...
The opportunity cost of closing police stations
Torsten Bell with his weekly nugget in the Observer, and a lovely example of the concept of opportunity cost, as revealed by analysis of public spending on police stations. Apparently, for every...
Contestable Markets - The Rise of Shoe Brand Hoka
This Business Insider video looks at the rise of the latest on-trend shoe brand, Hoka, the producer of an increasingly prominent sports shoe. Within just over a decade of its creation, the brand...
Can kinder capitalism compete in ruthless retail?
This lengthy FT video clip looks at whether an employee-owned retail business, like John Lewis, can continue to thrive in an increasingly competitive retail market. But not only is the external...
The Fiscal Cost of High Interest Rates
Kenneth Rogoff writes an interesting piece here about the diminishing ability of government debt to help offer macroeconomic stability at a time of higher interest rates.
Is China leading the electric vehicle race?
This BBC news clip looks at competition in the electric car market, with China leading the way, arguably because of high levels of government support. This clip looks at the concerns of the US and...