COVID-19 in Developing Economies

At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, it was hoped that warm weather and younger populations would shield many developing countries from the virus. This hope has not been realised. While the pandemic is mostly under control in many advanced economies, some developing countries in Africa and Latin America are registering an increase in the number of cases and may suffer long lasting consequences from the pandemic. This eBook, Co-published with the International Development Policy journal at the Graduate Institute in Geneva, summarises the early work focusing on developing and emerging economies.

This eBook is divided into five sections. The first three sections frame the problem, present regional perspectives, and discuss how the pandemic affects poverty, inequality and informality. The last two sections discuss policy responses and highlight the macro-financial effects of the crisis, including a narrative on the role of the international financial institutions.