Measuring Central Asia’s shadow economies Bazaars are a mainstay of economic activity in Central Asia. Why are they so hard to measure? Sam Bhutia Feb 21, 2020
Explainer: With gas trade, Russia and Ukraine continue business as usual Russia struggles to find alternatives to Ukraine’s transit pipelines, while Europe finds few alternatives to Russian gas. Sam Bhutia Feb 13, 2020
Pre-coronavirus, the Caucasus was liking the Chinese tourism bump. Now what? Their numbers were growing fast, but Chinese tourists were a tiny fraction of the total. Sam Bhutia Feb 6, 2020
Could energy trade be a win-win for Tajik-Uzbek ties? The neighbors otherwise exchange very little. Sam Bhutia Feb 3, 2020
Taking stock of Moscow’s fiscal consolidation While the Kremlin prioritized saving for a rainy day, real incomes plateaued and poverty levels rose. Sam Bhutia Jan 29, 2020
Tracking Kazakhstan’s sovereign wealth funds through the last oil slump A steadier oil market has helped Kazakhstan’s National Oil Fund regain its footing. But Kazakhstan’s other fund, Samruk-Kazyna, has struggled in its privatization drive. Sam Bhutia Jan 22, 2020
Uzbekistan sustains poverty by blocking internal migration Uzbeks are far less likely than people from similarly sized countries to move to a city. That hurts the economy and, indirectly, tears families apart. Sam Bhutia Jan 15, 2020
Can Uzbekistan gain from EAEU membership? While Uzbekistan debates joining the Eurasian Economic Union, what does the country stand to gain from membership in the Russia-led trade bloc? Sam Bhutia Jan 10, 2020
Recapping our top economic stories of 2019 Georgia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan: Our economics correspondent recaps the big stories he’s followed this year. Sam Bhutia Dec 30, 2019
Georgia’s central bank hiked rates four times this year: But don’t panic What’s behind the Georgian central bank’s aggressive monetary policy? Sam Bhutia Dec 18, 2019
How economic growth in Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan masks the plight of their poorest Despite posting solid real GDP growth rates over the past decade, poverty reduction has stagnated in Central Asia’s most vulnerable economies. Sam Bhutia Dec 12, 2019
Testing Tashkent’s reforms: Can Uzbekistan attract FDI? Despite a successful debut on the international bond market, Tashkent still needs to woo productive investment. Sam Bhutia Dec 10, 2019
Is new Russia-China gas pipeline a threat to Turkmenistan? Turkmenistan has been China’s largest source of gas. With the new Power of Siberia pipeline, Russia is muscling in. Sam Bhutia Dec 4, 2019
FDI woes still plague Ukraine International investors continue to avoid Ukraine. FDI remains significantly lower than it was before the conflict with Russia. Sam Bhutia Dec 2, 2019
How has conflict with Russia affected Ukraine’s trade? Ukraine’s trade with Russia and other ex-Soviet republics shows no sign of bouncing back six years after the Euromaidan Revolution began. Sam Bhutia Nov 25, 2019
As the Eurasian Union looks east, its deals do not benefit all members equally The EAEU is shopping for partners in Asia. Middle finger to the West or sound trade policy? Sam Bhutia Nov 19, 2019
IMF predicts sluggish growth for 2020 in Eurasia The IMF’s 2020 forecast sees economic growth slowing slightly in Central Asia and the South Caucasus. Sam Bhutia Nov 12, 2019
Kyrgyzstan says its economy is growing at a healthy clip. Really? Kyrgyzstan’s dependence on one gold mine leaves it vulnerable to economic shocks. Sam Bhutia Nov 8, 2019
Unpacking Armenia’s resilient economic growth Though it is diversifying the main drivers of its impressive growth, Armenia’s dependence on Russia remains a vulnerability. Sam Bhutia Nov 6, 2019
New donors on the block: Unpacking the largesse of Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan The two new international aid donors are still receiving foreign assistance. Sam Bhutia Nov 1, 2019
Armenia-Azerbaijan: Who’s the big defense spender? Azerbaijan spends six times more in dollar terms. But rival Armenia’s spending is far more painful at home. Sam Bhutia Oct 28, 2019
Why Turkmenistan’s rosy economic reports are unreliable Turkmenistan is officially growing at more than 6 percent per year. Unofficial reports of economic hardship say otherwise. Sam Bhutia Oct 23, 2019
Russia dominates Eurasian Union trade. Here are the numbers Trade between members of the EAEU was higher before the free-trade bloc was formed. Sam Bhutia Oct 18, 2019
Why is Tajikistan pawing migrant laborers’ cash? The central bank says it wants to improve efficiency in the remittance transfers system. Sam Bhutia Oct 10, 2019
Turkmenistan’s mainline to China China now buys almost 80 percent of Turkmenistan’s exports, cementing its grip on Ashgabat. Sam Bhutia Oct 6, 2019