Publication: Forecast Sensitivity to Global Risks: A BVAR Analysis
Loading...
Published
2025-05-29
ISSN
Date
2025-05-29
Editor(s)
Abstract
Developing countries face uncertainties driven by global macroeconomic variables over which they have little to no control. Key exogenous factors faced by most developing countries include interest rates in high-income countries, commodity prices, global demand for exports, and remit- tance inflows. While these variables are sensitive to common global shocks, they also exhibit idiosyncratic fluctuations. This paper employs a Bayesian Vector Autoregression model to capture interdependencies of global variables and simulates global risks using the empirical joint distribution of global shock as captured by joint Bayesian Vector Autoregression errors. The simulated shocks are then integrated into the World Bank’s macro-structural model to assess how a range of potential global disturbances could impact economic outcomes across countries. The methodology is applied to 115 countries, using the World Bank’s fall 2024 edition of the Macro-Poverty Outlook forecasts as a baseline. Although the individual country results are heterogeneous, the aggregate distribution of gross domestic product outcomes across the 115 countries suggests that global factors influence gross domestic product levels in individual developing countries by less than plus or minus 2 percent in most years, but by between 2 and 4 percent in about 3 in 10 years.
Link to Data Set
Citation
“Ruberl, Heather; Tercioglu, Remzi Baris; Elderfield, Adam. 2025. Forecast Sensitivity to Global Risks: A BVAR Analysis. Policy Research Working Paper; 11132. © World Bank. http://hdl.handle.net/10986/43257 License: CC BY 3.0 IGO.”
Digital Object Identifier
Associated URLs
Associated content
Other publications in this report series
Journal
Journal Volume
Journal Issue
Collections
Related items
Showing items related by metadata.
Publication Beyond Aggregates(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2025-05-21)This paper develops a bottom-up, sector-specific approach to modeling potential output that overcomes limitations of traditional top-down estimates for long-term projections and policy analysis. The model disaggregates total-factor productivity (TFP) growth into within-sector productivity effects and between-sector reallocations. Such endogenous between effects capture structural transformation, notably the shift from low-productivity sectors like agriculture to higher-productivity industrial and service sectors—a key driver of growth in developing countries. At the heart of the framework, wedges in sectoral factor prices, substitution elasticities, and productivity differentials describe the contribution of between-effects to aggregate productivity. Although the approach here can be applied to any macro-structural model, its benefits are illustrated by introducing it into the World Bank’s semi-structural models for Ghana and the Kyrgyz Republic to showcase its potential to enhance the analysis of long-run growth dynamics through structural change.Publication Economic Growth in Latin America and the Caribbean : Stylized Facts, Explanations, and Forecasts(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2005)Economic Growth in Latin America and the Caribbean analyzes whether economic reforms have been beneficial to growth in the region. In doing so, it recognizes that growth is driven by a variety of factors - in some cases poor growth is due to insufficient structural reforms (e.g., low trade openness), in others to inappropriate stabilization policies (e.g., exchange rate overvaluation), and still in others to negative international conditions (e.g., growth slowdown in industrial countries). It is obvious but still correct to say that identifying the problem is the first step towards the solution. This book contributes to this effort by examining the growth performance of countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, explaining the underlying sources of their economic growth, and designing a strategy for further growth.Publication A Climate-Fiscal Policy Mix to Achieve Türkiye’s Net-Zero Ambition under Feasibility Constraints(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2023-08-29)This paper employs an estimated dynamic stochastic open-economy macro framework to identify policy interventions that allow Türkiye to achieve net-zero emissions by 2053 while respecting important feasibility constraints such as fiscal consolidation and sovereign debt stability as well as compensation of low-income households. The policy mix includes a carbon tax, a renewable energy subsidy, transfer payments, public infrastructure investments, a bad bank for stranded fossil fuel assets, and the phase-out of fossil fuel subsidies and public investment. Although the proposed policy package has only moderate effects on gross domestic product, transition risks involve declining exports and fossil asset stranding. The paper highlights the importance of transparent policy communication and a credible commitment to the net-zero agenda to ensure an orderly transition. Improving the rule of law and access to green finance considerably support the private sector-led low-carbon transition.Publication From Global Collapse to Recovery(Washington, DC, 2010)The global crisis is now in the rear view mirror and world growth is being restored. In sharp contrast with past episodes of global turmoil, this time the recovery is led by the periphery, specifically by the larger and more dynamic emerging markets (Brazil, China, India, South Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, and Thailand). For this group of emerging markets (EMs), the contraction in economic activity was much smaller than that of rich countries, the recovery started earlier, and the rebound has been much steeper. Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) are second among emerging regions, after Asia, in the strength of the recovery. The first part of the report focuses on macroeconomic and financial aspects, emphasizing the outlook going forward. Finally, the second part examines some aspects of the adjustment in labor markets during this crisis in comparison to previous ones.Publication Globalized, Resilient, Dynamic(Washington, DC, 2010-10-06)Many countries in the Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) region, especially in South America, fared well during the global crisis and are now on a strong growth path. The region s recession in 2009 was relatively short lived and, with the notable exception of Mexico, remarkably mild. The current pace of economic recovery is exceeding expectations, with gross domestic product (GDP) projected to grow in the 5-6 percent range in 2010. This report discusses LAC's newfound resilience in the midst of financial globalization, examining key features of the cyclical behavior of LAC economies in comparison to other emerging economies and to its own past. Resilience is defined throughout this report in a broad sense to denote the ability of an economy to navigate with minimum disturbances through shocks, cushioning their negative spillovers in bad times, and recovering fast after a downturn. The report is structured as follows: first, it evaluates the relative performance of LAC countries during the contractionary period generated by the recent global crisis, to shed light on LAC's ability to shield its economies or soften the blow of a large external shock. Second, a similar exercise is conducted for the recovery phase of the cycle, when in the aftermath of an external shock more resilient countries will be expected to have a faster and more robust recovery. Third, it takes a deeper look at the different driving forces behind the recovery, including the role of domestic demand, commodity prices, and the connection to emerging Asia. Fourth, it provides evidence of the ability of different countries in LAC to conduct counter-cyclical policies in response to the global financial crisis. Lastly, a concluding section warns about the main macro-financial tensions and challenges lying ahead for the region.
Users also downloaded
Showing related downloaded files
Publication From Patriarchy to Policy(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2025-05-29)Legal institutions play an important role in shaping gender equality in economic domains, from inheritance to labor markets. But where do gender equal laws come from? Using cross-country data on social norms and legal equality, this paper investigates the socio-cultural roots of gender inequity in the legal system and its implications for female labor force participation. To identify the impact of social norms, the analysis uses an empirical strategy that exploits pre-modern differences in ancestral patriarchal culture as an instrument for present-day gender norms. The findings show that ancestral patriarchal culture is a strong predictor of contemporary norms, and conservative social norms are associated with more gender inequality in the de jure legal framework, the de facto implementation of laws, and the labor market. The paper presents evidence for a political selection mechanism linking norms to laws: countries with more conservative norms elect political leaders who are more hostile to gender equality, who then pass less progressive legislation. The results highlight the cultural roots and political drivers of legalized gender inequality.Publication Global Socio-economic Resilience to Natural Disasters(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2025-05-22)Most disaster risk assessments use damages to physical assets as their central metric, often neglecting distributional impacts and the coping and recovery capacity of affected people. To address this shortcoming, the concepts of well-being losses and socio-economic resilience—the ability to experience asset losses without a decline in well-being—have been proposed. This paper uses microsimulations to produce a global estimate of well-being losses from, and socio-economic resilience to, natural disasters, covering 132 countries. On average, each $1 in disaster-related asset losses results in well-being losses equivalent to a $2 uniform national drop in consumption, with significant variation within and across countries. The poorest income quintile within each country incurs only 9% of national asset losses but accounts for 33% of well-being losses. Compared to high-income countries, low-income countries experience 67% greater well-being losses per dollar of asset losses and require 56% more time to recover. Socio-economic resilience is uncorrelated with exposure or vulnerability to natural hazards. However, a 10 percent increase in GDP per capita is associated with a 0.9 percentage point gain in resilience, but this benefit arises indirectly—such as through higher rate of formal employment, better financial inclusion, and broader social protection coverage—rather than from higher income itself. This paper assess ten policy options and finds that socio-economic and financial interventions (such as insurance and social protection) can effectively complement asset-focused measures (e.g., construction standards) and that interventions targeting low-income populations usually have higher returns in terms of avoided well-being losses per dollar invested.Publication Tradeoffs over Rate Cycles(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2025-05-23)Central banks often face tradeoffs in how their monetary policy decisions impact economic activity (including employment), inflation and the price level. This paper assesses how these tradeoffs have evolved over time and varied across countries, with a focus on understanding the post-pandemic adjustment. To make these comparisons, we compile a cross-country, historical database of “rate cycles” (i.e., easing and tightening phases for monetary policy) for 24 advanced economies from 1970 through 2024. This allows us to quantify the characteristics of interest rate adjustments and corresponding macroeconomic outcomes and tradeoffs. We also calculate Sacrifice Ratios (output losses per inflation reduction) and document a historically low “sacrifice” during the post-pandemic tightening. This popular measure, however, ignores adjustments in the price level—which increased by more after the pandemic than over the past four decades. A series of regressions and simulations suggest monetary policy (and particularly the timing and aggressiveness of rate hikes) play a meaningful role in explaining these tradeoffs and how adjustments occur during tightening phases. Central bank credibility is the one measure we assess that corresponds to only positive outcomes and no difficult tradeoffs.Publication Beyond Aggregates(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2025-05-21)This paper develops a bottom-up, sector-specific approach to modeling potential output that overcomes limitations of traditional top-down estimates for long-term projections and policy analysis. The model disaggregates total-factor productivity (TFP) growth into within-sector productivity effects and between-sector reallocations. Such endogenous between effects capture structural transformation, notably the shift from low-productivity sectors like agriculture to higher-productivity industrial and service sectors—a key driver of growth in developing countries. At the heart of the framework, wedges in sectoral factor prices, substitution elasticities, and productivity differentials describe the contribution of between-effects to aggregate productivity. Although the approach here can be applied to any macro-structural model, its benefits are illustrated by introducing it into the World Bank’s semi-structural models for Ghana and the Kyrgyz Republic to showcase its potential to enhance the analysis of long-run growth dynamics through structural change.Publication Rethinking Fiscal Policies(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2025-05-27)This paper examines the redistributive impact of fiscal policy—specifically taxes and transfers—on poverty and inequality in eight countries in the Middle East and North Africa: the Arab Republic of Egypt, Djibouti, the Islamic Republic of Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Morocco, Tunisia, and the West Bank and Gaza. Utilizing the Commitment to Equity framework, the analysis evaluates how fiscal interventions alter income distribution across these diverse national contexts. The results indicate that direct cash transfers and social assistance programs are generally effective in reducing poverty and shielding vulnerable populations, while in-kind benefits—particularly in education and healthcare—significantly contribute to mitigating income inequality. In contrast, generalized subsidies, especially in the energy sector, are fiscally burdensome and largely regressive, offering limited equity gains. Indirect taxes, although important for revenue generation, often exacerbate income disparities. The study underscores the need for comprehensive fiscal reforms, including the expansion of well-targeted transfers, adoption of progressive taxation, and reallocation of inefficient subsidies toward investments in human capital. Successful initiatives, such as Egypt’s Takaful and Karama and Jordan’s Takaful and bread subsidy compensation programs, illustrate scalable models of effective redistribution. Moreover, the Islamic Republic of Iran’s progressive tax policies highlight viable pathways to equitable revenue mobilization. Strengthening investment in education and health is essential for promoting long-term equity, enhancing upward mobility, and supporting inclusive and sustainable development across the region.