VoxDev

When official statistics are unavailable or unreliable, researchers can use a range of forensic methods to extract credible economic information, with North Korea illustrating both the possibilities and limits of studying economic ‘black holes’.

Read today's article to learn more:

When official statistics are unavailable or unreliable, researchers can use a range of forensic methods to extract credible economic information, with North Korea illustrating both the possibilities and limits of studying economic ‘black holes’.

Read today's article to learn more:

North Korea's economy: The study of economic black holes When official statistics are unavailable or unreliable, researchers can use a range of forensic methods – such as satellite imagery, mirror trade data, price monitoring, refugee surveys, humanitarian ...

🆕 North Korea's economy: The study of economic black holes

Today on VoxDev, Stephan Haggard (@gpsucsd.bsky.social), Kyoochul Kim & Munseob Lee discuss the range of forensic methods available to researchers when official statistics are unavailable, or unreliable: voxdev.org/topic/method...

This week in development economics at VoxDev: 06/03/2026 This week we featured research on China's solar industry, collectivisation's long shadow, food prices and more!

This week we featured research on China's solar industry, collectivisation's long shadow, food prices and more!

Read a summary of this work here: https://voxdev.org/topic/week-development-economics-voxdev-06032026

How can you study an economy when official statistics don't exist, or can't be trusted?

Really enjoyed today's article which outlines six 'forensic' methods available to economists, and applies them to North Korea ⤵️

North Korea's economy: The study of economic black holes When official statistics are unavailable or unreliable, researchers can use a range of forensic methods – such as satellite imagery, mirror trade data, price monitoring, refugee surveys, humanitarian ...

🆕 North Korea's economy: The study of economic black holes

Today on VoxDev, Stephan Haggard (@gpsucsd.bsky.social), Kyoochul Kim & Munseob Lee discuss the range of forensic methods available to researchers when official statistics are unavailable, or unreliable: voxdev.org/topic/method...

New @voxdev.bsky.social piece on our Ramayan paper! The Ramayan TV show in 1987-88 strengthened Hindu religious identity, contributing to the rise of the BJP in India.

Thanks to awesome collaborators @pbrimble.bsky.social, @resuf.bsky.social, @akhila-kovvuri.bsky.social, and Alessandro Saia!

In China, cities that adopted solar policies saw a 64% increase in patenting alongside sharp rises in revenues, production capacity, exports and firm numbers. These effects grew over time and persisted long after subsidies were introduced.

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Negotiation training improves the ability of Liberian communities to strike beneficial deals around forest and land management by strengthening leaders’ ability to identify mutually beneficial, higher-value agreements.

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China’s solar subsidies triggered innovation and learning-by-doing that dramatically lowered global solar costs while generating domestic economic gains large enough to outweigh the subsidy costs, showing that green industrial policy can boost growth and help fight climate change.

Fostering negotiation skills in land and forest agreements Negotiation training improves the ability of Liberian communities to strike beneficial deals around forest and land management by strengthening leaders’ ability to identify mutually beneficial, higher-value agreements. However, it does not substantially improve their ability to assess outside options or walk away from disadvantageous deals, suggesting that gains are driven mainly by better deal-making rather than rejection.

🆕 Fostering negotiation skills in land and forest agreements

Today on VoxDev, Darin Christensen (UCLA), Alexandra Hartman (UCL Political Science), Cyrus Samii (NYU) & Alessandro Toppeta (The Swedish Institute for Social Research (SOFI)) outline research on Liberia: https://ow.ly/OXlE50Ypvug

Ray of hope? The rise of solar energy in China China’s solar subsidies triggered innovation and learning-by-doing that dramatically lowered global solar costs while generating domestic economic gains large enough to outweigh the subsidy costs, sho...

🆕 Ray of hope? The rise of solar energy in China

Today on VoxDev, Ignacio Banares-Sanchez, Robin Burgess, Dávid László, Pol Simpson, John Van Reenen & Yifan Wang outline their research on China's green industrial policy: voxdev.org/topic/energy...

Fostering negotiation skills in land and forest agreements Negotiation training improves the ability of Liberian communities to strike beneficial deals around forest and land management by strengthening leaders’ ability to identify mutually beneficial, higher-value agreements. However, it does not substantially improve their ability to assess outside options or walk away from disadvantageous deals, suggesting that gains are driven mainly by better deal-making rather than rejection.

🆕 Fostering negotiation skills in land and forest agreements

Today on VoxDev, Darin Christensen (UCLA), Alexandra Hartman (UCL Political Science), Cyrus Samii (NYU) & Alessandro Toppeta (The Swedish Institute for Social Research (SOFI)) outline research on Liberia: https://ow.ly/OXlE50Ypvug

Ray of hope? The rise of solar energy in China China’s solar subsidies triggered innovation and learning-by-doing that dramatically lowered global solar costs while generating domestic economic gains large enough to outweigh the subsidy costs, sho...

🆕 Ray of hope? The rise of solar energy in China

Today on VoxDev, Ignacio Banares-Sanchez, Robin Burgess, Dávid László, Pol Simpson, John Van Reenen & Yifan Wang outline their research on China's green industrial policy: voxdev.org/topic/energy...

“Our research suggests that vehicular transport in the cities of poor and middle-income countries is slower than travel in rich country cities more because of slow speed in the absence of traffic than because of congestion per se.” Adam Storeygard today on VoxDevTalks:

Evidence from Vietnam shows that institutional barriers not only misallocate resources but also discourage farmers from investing in productivity improvements, compounding the losses from misallocation.

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Why collectivisation in Vietnam still holds back agricultural productivity decades later Evidence from Vietnam shows that institutional barriers not only misallocate resources but also discourage farmers from investing in productivity improvements, compounding the losses from misallocatio...

🆕 Why collectivisation in Vietnam still holds back agricultural productivity decades later

Stephen Ayerst (IMF), Loren Brandt (@econuoft.bsky.social) & Diego Restuccia discuss how institutional barriers discourage farmers from investing in productivity improvements: voxdev.org/topic/agricu...

🆕 Transport policy for economic development 📢

Today on VoxDevTalks, Adam Storeygard (@tufts.edu @tuftseconomics.bsky.social) discusses transport policy in developing countries: voxdev.org/topic/infras...

Why collectivisation in Vietnam still holds back agricultural productivity decades later Evidence from Vietnam shows that institutional barriers not only misallocate resources but also discourage farmers from investing in productivity improvements, compounding the losses from misallocatio...

🆕 Why collectivisation in Vietnam still holds back agricultural productivity decades later

Stephen Ayerst (IMF), Loren Brandt (@econuoft.bsky.social) & Diego Restuccia discuss how institutional barriers discourage farmers from investing in productivity improvements: voxdev.org/topic/agricu...

🆕 Transport policy for economic development 📢

Today on VoxDevTalks, Adam Storeygard (@tufts.edu @tuftseconomics.bsky.social) discusses transport policy in developing countries: voxdev.org/topic/infras...

Rising crop prices usually quiet conflict, as labourers choose farming over fighting. In Myanmar, rising rice prices instead fuelled state-led violence against civilians. These findings challenge narratives that frame such atrocities as a reaction to insurgencies.

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A religious television broadcast strengthened Hindu identity in 1980s India, catalysing lasting electoral shifts, conflict, and institutional change.

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When rising food prices fuel state violence Rising crop prices usually quiet conflict, as labourers choose farming over fighting. In Myanmar, rising rice prices instead fuelled state-led violence against civilians. Our findings challenge narratives that frame such atrocities as a reaction to insurgencies, showing how economic incentives can systematically shape persecution when power is heavily skewed toward the state.

🆕 When rising food prices fuel state violence

Today on VoxDev, C. Austin Davis (American University School of International Service), Paula López-Peña (Queen’s University), Mushfiq Mobarak (Yale University) & Jaya Wen (Harvard Business School) outline research on Myanmar: https://ow.ly/3zaM50YosZt

The Sunday morning broadcast that changed Indian democracy A religious television broadcast strengthened Hindu identity in 1980s India, catalysing lasting electoral shifts, conflict, and institutional change.

🆕 The Sunday morning broadcast that changed Indian democracy

Dean Yang (University of Michigan), Alessandro Saia (University of Bologna), @akhila-kovvuri.bsky.social (Stanford University), Resuf Ahmed & Paul Brimble discuss how a TV broadcast strengthened Hindu identity: https://ow.ly/Fple50Yosha

When rising food prices fuel state violence Rising crop prices usually quiet conflict, as labourers choose farming over fighting. In Myanmar, rising rice prices instead fuelled state-led violence against civilians. Our findings challenge narratives that frame such atrocities as a reaction to insurgencies, showing how economic incentives can systematically shape persecution when power is heavily skewed toward the state.

🆕 When rising food prices fuel state violence

Today on VoxDev, C. Austin Davis (American University School of International Service), Paula López-Peña (Queen’s University), Mushfiq Mobarak (Yale University) & Jaya Wen (Harvard Business School) outline research on Myanmar: https://ow.ly/3zaM50YosZt

The Sunday morning broadcast that changed Indian democracy A religious television broadcast strengthened Hindu identity in 1980s India, catalysing lasting electoral shifts, conflict, and institutional change.

🆕 The Sunday morning broadcast that changed Indian democracy

Dean Yang (University of Michigan), Alessandro Saia (University of Bologna), @akhila-kovvuri.bsky.social (Stanford University), Resuf Ahmed & Paul Brimble discuss how a TV broadcast strengthened Hindu identity: https://ow.ly/Fple50Yosha

Technology diffusion: The role of venture capital, universities and China Josh Lerner discusses why there is a gap between innovation and impact, and how policymakers can speed up technological diffusion.

🆕 How does technology diffuse?

This week on Ideas in Development, Josh Lerner joined @deenamousa.com & I to discuss why is there a gap between innovation & impact, + the role of venture capital, universities & China in diffusion: voxdev.org/topic/techno...

Evidence from Brazil shows that drought-driven rural-urban migration reduced urban informality over a decade, contradicting conventional wisdom.

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AI Policy Lead - J-PAL Global | The Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab

📢 J-PAL are hiring an AI Policy Lead.

More details: www.povertyactionlab.org/careers/ai-p...

Could rural-urban climate migration help formalise the economy? Evidence from Brazil shows that drought-driven rural-urban migration reduced urban informality over a decade, contradicting conventional wisdom.

🆕 Could rural-urban climate migration help formalise the economy?

Today on VoxDev, Clément Imbert (Sciences Po) & Gabriel Ulyssea (UCL) discuss how drought-driven migration reduced urban informality in Brazil: https://ow.ly/MHCf50YnTLl