Our Latest Global Insights

According to the Chinese zodiac cycle, this is the year of the dragon, an auspicious time to have babies. Not surprisingly, this is fueling a baby boom in Chinese-speaking regions across the Asia Pacific. That is a godsend for countries like Taiwan and Singapore, where women have grown disinterested in having and raising children.

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Fears of a recession in developed economies such as the U.S. have receded as recent data releases indicate that economic activity has not weakened as much as thought earlier. Though European economies are still expected to see a decline, there is now increased optimism that the monetary union and the common currency will survive the crisis.

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As the year 2011 ended, the clouds of pessimism about the economy lightened across the Americas region, as key data trends suggested that earlier fears of a steep downturn were unfounded. Financial markets stabilized as investors turned more optimistic about the outlook for 2012. Concerns over external risks, particularly about the European fiscal crisis, have also calmed down.

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The European debt crisis lingered during the fourth quarter of 2011, although the European Central Bank (ECB) and Euro-zone leaders took several steps to find a lasting solution to the problem. The ECB maintained a largely accommodative monetary policy in the review period, cutting its benchmark interest rate twice by 25 basis points each to bring the rate down to 1% by the end of 2011.

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After saving the revolutionary 787 Dreamliner project from the brink of disaster, Jim Albaugh, president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, now has his eyes set on taking on Airbus's dominance in narrow-body jets with the new 737 MAX, as well as ensuring Boeing's continued leadership in the market for wide-body jets.

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Ma Ying-jeou has been re-elected the president of Taiwan (officially the Republic of China). Ying-jeou owes a part of his victory to the initiatives that have improved Taiwan's relationship with mainland China and given a boost to his country's trade prospects.

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From one of the most celebrated among emerging market success stories to a case study in corruption and nepotism, the Indian communications industry has seen a dramatic swing in fortunes in recent years. Nevertheless, the Indian communications services market remains one of the fastest growing and the most competitive anywhere in the world.

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Sweden's export-dependent economy was badly shaken by the financial crisis. However, the largest economy in the Scandinavian region staged a comeback in 2010, helped by strong public spending and a pick-up in external demand, and appears set to retain its rightful place as a truly globalized and competitive economy in the years ahead.

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