Special economic zones

Special Economic Zones can raise formal employment and wages in the right conditions, but without strong complementary policies such as education, infrastructure and trade openness, they are unlikely to deliver sustained economic growth.

Vietnam’s Special Economic Zones are not just attracting investment—they are creating better, more formal jobs, with women in rural areas benefiting most.

Indonesia’s Special Economic Zone programme (known as Integrated Economic Development Zones) had minimal impact on regional growth and welfare, largely because it targeted remote, low-potential areas and relied solely on tax incentives. Effective des...

Firm productivity rises in privately run Indian SEZs but stagnates in public ones, suggesting that political interference fuels rent-seeking behaviour.

Does living near Special Economic Zones make African households better off? New evidence suggests it can, revealing substantial gains in wealth, utilities, and education.

When new manufacturing sectors emerge in developing countries, a significant share of the workforce is often comprised of women, many of whom previously lacked access to non-agricultural employment. Such employment can have important consequences for...

Little is known about the contribution of place-based policies in promoting economic development in emerging and developing countries. Through what channels do these policies, such as Special Economic Zones in India, promote development, if at all? D...

On average, Special Economic Zones in China increased local high school enrolment rates, but this masks varying impacts between different types of zones