Almost everyone has heard of Pokémon: it’s the highest-grossing media franchise in the world1. The core concept is also familiar to most people – in the Pokémon world, quasi-magical creatures live alongside people in idyllic, family-friendly harmony. 

Time and time again we hear economists seeking to answer the questions:  “How and why some countries manage to get rich while others stay poor?” and “What can be done to change this fundamentally wrong situation?”. To help tackle these issues we are dedicating a series of blog posts to the field of Development Economics.

Development economics is the branch of economics focused on understanding and promoting the development of low-income countries through economic growth and structural change. If you've been studying economics, you may have had the chance to specialise in development economics, or you may be thinking about doing so in the future. In the case, what career options are available in development economics, and what kind of skills do you need to get a job in this field? That's the question we're answering today, by showing you some of the top career paths in development economics.

Dr. Dominik Steinkühler has been appointed as the new Head of Group Development and Economics at KfW, effective September 1, 2025. He succeeds Dr. Susanne Maurenbrecher, who will become General Manager in October.

Laura Alfaro, renowned Harvard Business School professor, has been appointed as the new Chief Economist and Economic Counselor for the Inter-American Development Bank, marking a significant milestone in economic leadership for Latin America and the Caribbean.

Is it possible to reinvigorate under-developed regions by turning the public’s penchant for gambling into a force for economic growth? That is one of the questions asked by labor policy economist Luigino Giliberto in his debut book, Athena’s Reasons (currently offered in Italian). The book details a model of regional economic growth that aims to reinvigorate Italy’s less developed areas, inspired by the ancient Greek goddess Athena.

Yale economist Pinelopi Koujianou Goldberg has been awarded the prestigious Jean-Jacques Laffont Prize for her contributions to trade and development research. The award was celebrated with a lecture and ceremony in Toulouse.

Maynooth University has announced the appointment of Professor David Cuberes as the new Head of the Department of Economics, effective September 1, 2026. He succeeds Dr. Aedín Doris. Professor Cuberes is known for his research in urban economics and economic growth. 

Dr Dirk Schumacher today takes over the role of Chief Economist at KfW Group.

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has appointed Aya Suzuki as the new Senior Vice-Rector of the United Nations University.

Economists Esther Duflo and Abhijit Banerjee, Nobel Prize winners in Economics, will join the University of Zurich in July 2026, establishing the Lemann Center for Development Economics. 

Yale University announces the appointment of Navin Kartik as the A. Douglas Melamed Professor of Economics, effective July 1, 2026. A noted scholar in microeconomics and game theory, Kartik's research examines strategic communication and incentive structures.

​Development aid: what is it good for? Well, according to much research the answer may well be absolutely nothing. In fact, it may well be worse than nothing. When judged against its aim of ‘instigating economic development and alleviating poverty’, its record is so dismal it looks as though aid actually hinders the achievement of its own stated goals. And the curious thing is this seems to be something of an open secret. Even to an untrained eye the big numbers pertaining to development aid don’t look right. Take Africa, for example. Over $1 trillion dollars has been pumped into the continent in the last 50 years, and how much has it benefited? How many African countries are actually in a better condition now than they were before receiving aid?

If you're planning to study economics at a Master's level, then you may have the opportunity to pursue a concentration, sometimes also referred to as a major. While rarer, some PhD programs may also offer concentrations, though many are already specialized degrees (or require you to have your own research agenda).