In The News

Lant Pritchett November 9, 2003
In Part II of a two-part series on the future of migration, economist Lant Pritchett argues that the forces building up to another wave of mass migration face opposition in the form of ideas. Simply put, he says, "the primary reason there is not more migration is that the citizens of the industrialized world don't want it." People in the industrialized world - the main...
Lant Pritchett November 5, 2003
Immigration is an issue that elicits heated views from all sides of the political and economic spectrum. In the 21st century, how might we expect our lives and societies to be affected by changes in immigration? In Part One of a two-part series, economist Lant Pritchett argues that there are five irresistible forces setting the world up for a new wave of mass migration. Topping the list are...
Shaoni Bhattacharya October 8, 2003
With 20 per cent of the world's population aged between ten and nineteen, Planet Earth's demography is witnessing the largest youth group ever. According to a new report from the UN Population Fund, about half of the world's population is now under the age of 25. This adolescent surge is posing an "economic opportunity" for countries, especially those in the developing...
Deborah Davis September 17, 2003
In part one of this 2-part series, David Zweig explained the processes by which China joined the global economy. In part two, China scholar Deborah Davis discusses the prospects for China's continued economic growth. While incomes have improved and everyone's boat has risen, Davis says, so has the country's once-low income inequality. Increased differences in wealth, as well as...
Marc Lacey September 4, 2003
“Big Brother”, the reality television show that gained success in the Western world, has found a new audience in Africa. The African version has become the most popular show on the continent, with 30 million Africans tuning in to watch 12 young professionals from a diverse group of countries live together as housemates, sharing disagreements and romantic entanglements. While some religious and...
Eddie Lee August 26, 2003
Are large families passé? In most developed and rapidly developing countries this increasingly seems to be the case. Across Europe, fertility rates have dropped well below replacement level – so low in fact that Germany will have to import half a million immigrants a year to keep the working-age population stable. A similar phenomenon is occurring in Singapore where the government is resorting...
Dominic Sachsenmaier August 22, 2003
Economic integration around the world does not necessarily equate to acceptance of multi-culturalism at home. Though German industry and banks straddle the globe, linking countries and societies economically, many Germans are fiercely fighting the influx of foreign influence - particularly through immigration. These Germans feel passionately about preserving a homogenous society and are...