The End of Rapid Population Growth
Smaldone, Amy; Wright, Mark L. J. (2023-03-06)
The world’s population had been doubling every 47 years to reach 8 billion today. But it is expected to peak at 10.5 billion before declining by century’s end.
On the Economy

Journal Article
Local Governments in the U.S.: A Breakdown by Number and Type
Smaldone, Amy; Wright, Mark L. J. (2024-03-14)
An analysis examines state variations in how the number and types of local governments in the U.S. have evolved since the 1940s.
The Regional Economist

How Did the U.S. Economy Do Last Year? Explaining Two Measures of GDP Growth
Wright, Mark L. J.; Smaldone, Amy (2025-02-18)
An analysis compares two ways to measure the annual growth of U.S. real GDP—Q4-over-Q4 and year-on-year—and why economists might prefer one over the other.
On the Economy

Economic Development and the Evolution of Mortality
Ravikumar, B.; Smaldone, Amy (2023-10-02)
Since 1960, the gap in GDP per capita between rich and poor countries has remained wide. Yet the gap in death rates has practically vanished during that period.
On the Economy

Why Do Women Outnumber Men in College Enrollment?
Smaldone, Amy; Leukhina, Oksana (2022-03-15)
Women appear to have a relatively higher financial return to college education than men, who have access to lucrative careers that require only a high school diploma.
On the Economy

Convergence or Divergence? A Look at GDP Growth across Richer and Poorer Countries
Ravikumar, B.; Chinagorom-Abiakalam, Dawn; Smaldone, Amy (2024-08-19)
An analysis suggests the divergence in GDP growth per capita among richer and poorer countries has reversed since 2000, implying the latter are now catching up.
On the Economy

How Nonmonetary Job Amenities Improve with Higher Education
Leukhina, Oksana; Smaldone, Amy (2024-05-09)
Nonmonetary job amenities tend to improve in occupations that require higher levels of education, providing an additional reason for college enrollment.
On the Economy

The Pandemic’s Influence on U.S. Fertility Rates
Leukhina, Oksana; Smaldone, Amy (2021-11-04)
The COVID-19 pandemic appears to have had a negative impact on fertility for U.S. women ages 30-34, though birth rates did increase among women ages 20-24.
On the Economy

Are Developing Countries Facing a Possible Debt Crisis?
Wright, Mark L. J.; Smaldone, Amy (2023-09-05)
An analysis looks at whether developing countries are facing pressures similar to those in the 1980s, when higher interest rates helped trigger a wave of defaults in sovereign debt.
On the Economy

The Evolution of the Racial Gap in U.S. Life Expectancy
Sanghi, Siddhartha; Smaldone, Amy (2022-01-27)
White Americans live longer than Black Americans, but the gap has been narrowing. What has been driving that in recent decades?
On the Economy