Analysis

Internet-Based Transfers: Current Landscape

Internet-based products have grown substantially in recent years, and constitute an important source of innovation for the remittance industry. Although these products present important opportunities for businesses and consumers, the low rate of penetration merits further discussion and analysis. The article concludes that perhaps the issue is still more structural, that the ecosystem of payment services is performing unevenly, partly due to poor financial access among clients and merchants.

Manuel Orozco, Laura Porras

Reports ˙

Educational Challenges in Honduras and Consequences for Human Capital and Development

Honduras shows great disparities in education. Despite being one of the countries in the Central American region that spends the highest percentage of its national budget on education, it exhibits some of the lowest performance. The challenges that it faces are formidable, and include addressing illiteracy among rural populations, improving access to secondary school, increasing enrollment in post-secondary schools, and improving overall educational quality. In this brief, we review the educational landscape in Honduras, including literacy, K-12 education, and workforce development.

Manuel Orozco

Reports ˙

Remittances to Latin America and the Caribbean in 2016

In 2016, the flow of remittances to Latin America and the Caribbean surpassed US $70 billion. In the 20 countries for which there is data available, the flow reached US$69 billion. This increase demonstrates continued growth since the post-recession period. In this article, we find a range of factors shaping this growth,

Manuel Orozco

Reports ˙

Oil and Commodities: The End of the “Age of Abundance”

Across Latin America, the sustained decline in global oil prices has had a profound impact on economic growth, political stability and the viability of resource nationalism – when governments assert more control over the nation’s natural resources.

Lisa Viscidi, Rebecca O’Connor

Reports ˙ ˙ Italian Institute for International Political Studies

Peace and Environmental Protection in Colombia

Colombia should integrate environmental considerations into its rural economic development plans to avoid an increase in deforestation associated with the post-conflict transition.

Lorenzo Morales

Reports ˙

Remittances Scorecard: 2016

In its fourth edition, the Remittances Scorecard ranks 30 companies working in 11 Latin American and Caribbean countries. It evaluates them across 12 indicators to assess their performance and competition in the money transfer industry.

Manuel Orozco, Laura Porras, Julia Yansura

Reports ˙ ˙ Results

Measuring Early Childhood Development in Latin America

Measuring early childhood development (ECD) at the national level is crucial for informing policy-making and for evaluating ECD programs in Latin America.

Ariel Fiszbein, Gabriela Guerrero, Vanessa Rojas

Reports ˙

Workforce Training in Latin America

The low skills levels of Latin America’s workforce have led to productivity issues that limit the region’s growth potential.

Ariel Fiszbein, Belén Cumsille, Simón Cueva

Reports ˙

School Reintegration for Vulnerable Youth

While access to education in Latin America has increased significantly, school dropout remains a critical issue, particularly among the vulnerable youth.

Federico Sucre

Reports ˙

The Changing Currents of Transpacific Integration

The Inter-American Dialogue and Lynne Rienner Publishers are pleased to announce the release of The Changing Currents of Transpacific Integration: China, the TPP, and Beyond, co-edited by Adrian H. Hearn and Margaret Myers.

Margaret Myers, Adrian Hearn

Books ˙

The Remittance Marketplace in Europe: Competition and Pricing

This text analyzes the remittance marketplace in Europe based on selected indicators that measure: number of remittance service providers (RSPs), number of countries they serve, the diversity in type of RSP, the cost of sending money, the number of payout locations, type of paying partners, their presence or penetration in rural areas, and consumer satisfaction.

Manuel Orozco

Reports ˙

The Skills Development Challenge in Latin America

The lack of adequate skills represents a bottleneck to productivity growth and to the ability of workers to obtain gainful employment in Latin America.

Ariel Fiszbein, Clemencia Cosentino, Belén Cumsille

Reports ˙