Economy
Our coverage of global economics, from inflation-fighting central banks to apprehensive financial markets
Data
American consumers are finally cheering up
Much to the relief of Joe Biden
The world’s richest countries in 2023
Our ranking compares economies in three different ways
These are the world’s most expensive cities
EIU’s cost-of-living index shows where prices are highest
Which city is the cheapest in the world?
The cost of living there is a little over a tenth of what it is in New York
What Donald Trump can learn from the Big Mac index
Should the presidential candidate go on another crusade against the yuan?
The US economy
Why a stronger dollar is dangerous
It sets the stage for a nasty new Trump-China clash, among other things
America’s interest rates are unlikely to fall this year
That will squeeze financial markets and the world economy
The economics of skiing in America
How monopoly and price discrimination are transforming an industry
When will Americans see those interest-rate cuts?
Following a nasty surprise, some now think they may come only after the presidential election
The rich world faces a brutal spending crunch
Countries including America, Britain and France are up against remorseless fiscal logic
Central banks have spent down their credibility
That will make inflation trickier to handle in future
China’s economy
China’s better economic growth hides reasons to worry
The country’s leaders are too complacent about deflation
China’s state is eating the private property market
Pity those soon to buy a home
Xi Jinping’s misguided plan to escape economic stagnation
It will disappoint China’s people and anger the rest of the world
Who is up and who is down on China’s economic team
Xi Jinping is in charge. The rest need sorting
China’s economic bright spots provide a warning
What a visit to an optimistic port reveals
Xi Jinping’s hunger for power is hurting China’s economy
A new economic plan won’t end deflation, even as he sidelines his prime minister
Russia’s economy
Frozen Russian assets will soon pay for Ukraine’s war
And America now hopes to convince others to make better use of the stash
Russia’s economy once again defies the doomsayers
As an election nears, Vladimir Putin now looks to have inflation under control
Vladimir Putin is running Russia’s economy dangerously hot
Extravagant war spending is fuelling inflation
What Russia’s budget reveals about the war in Ukraine
The outlook is bleak
The costs of Russia’s war are about to hit home
Vladimir Putin will be unable to protect citizens from the pain
A higher global oil price will help Russia pay for its war
The Kremlin tries new tactics to keep proceeds afloat
Asia’s economies
How strong is India’s economy?
It isn’t the next China, but it could still transform itself and the world
Without fanfare, the Philippines is getting richer
And its economy is unusually well-defended against American politics
Who’s the big boss of the global south?
In a dog-eat-dog world, competition is fierce
How India’s imports of Russian oil have lubricated global markets
But as the country’s importance in the global oil market grows, risks loom
How fast is India’s economy really growing?
Statisticians take the country’s figures with a pinch of salt
Why Japan’s economy remains a warning to others
Low real rates, low growth and high debts are not going away
Europe’s economies
How has the Bank of England dealt with four years of shocks?
Its credibility is battered but intact. It can do better
The triple shock facing Europe’s economy
After the energy crisis, Europe faces surging Chinese imports and the threat of Trump tariffs
Europe’s economy is under attack from all sides
First Putin, now Xi. Next Trump?
What fiscal rules should Britain have?
Labour has chosen its framework. Could it be better?
Europe’s economy is a cause for concern, not panic
Quick, call another Italian former prime minister to the rescue!
Britain’s budget cuts taxes on the promise of productivity gains
Jeremy Hunt has got it the wrong way round