Global Economic Trends to Watch in the Second Half of 2026
Published Jul 5, 2026 · Updated Jul 29, 2026 · Editorial Team
Test your knowledge of the key economic developments shaping the world economy from July to December 2026.
❓ 10 Questions
⏱️ 5 Minutes
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Question 1 of 100 correct
⏱️ 05:00
QUESTION 1
In economics, what does total factor productivity (TFP) measure?
All Questions in This Quiz
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In economics, what does total factor productivity (TFP) measure?
- A. The number of factories operating in a country
- B. The share of output not explained by measured labor and capital inputs
- C. The size of the working-age population
- D. The total value of a country's exports
How does the EU's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) affect imports of carbon-intensive goods such as steel?
- A. It subsidizes non-EU producers to raise their exports
- B. It attaches a carbon cost to imports, making high-carbon production less competitive in the EU
- C. It has no price effect and is purely a reporting exercise forever
- D. It bans all steel imports outright
What is "forward guidance" in monetary policy?
- A. Direct central bank purchases of long-dated government bonds
- B. Central bank communication about the likely future path of policy rates
- C. A statutory cap on commercial bank lending
- D. Deliberate devaluation of the domestic currency
Central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) are expected to affect cross-border payments primarily by:
- A. Raising per-transaction costs for consumers
- B. Reducing reliance on chains of correspondent banks
- C. Making physical cash illegal worldwide
- D. Removing the need for any settlement rules between countries
Which sector has historically accounted for the largest share of global green-bond proceeds?
- A. Commercial real estate
- B. Renewable energy
- C. Semiconductor manufacturing
- D. Pharmaceuticals
Roughly what share of the world's leading-edge logic chips is manufactured in Taiwan?
- A. About 10%
- B. About 35%
- C. About 60%
- D. Over 90%
What does the labor force participation rate measure?
- A. The share of the working-age population that is employed or actively seeking work
- B. The percentage of workers who belong to a union
- C. The share of job seekers who are unemployed
- D. The average number of hours worked per week
In sovereign finance, a "debt-distress" event refers to a situation where:
- A. A country's stock index falls sharply
- B. A government cannot service or repay its debt on the original terms
- C. Consumer prices rise faster than wages
- D. A country runs a trade deficit for several years
The OECD/G20 global minimum corporate tax of 15% is designed to most directly reduce:
- A. The profit-shifting advantage of low-tax jurisdictions
- B. The tax burden on small domestic firms
- C. Tariffs on digital services
- D. Agricultural subsidy spending
Mandatory climate-related financial disclosure regimes based on the TCFD framework are intended primarily to:
- A. Increase short-term trading volumes
- B. Give investors comparable, standardized data on companies' climate risk
- C. Stabilize commodity prices
- D. Raise government tax revenue
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Editorial Team
Editorial Team
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