Jonathan D. Ostry
Jonathan D. Ostry is a Non-resident Fellow at Bruegel. His research focuses on economic growth, inequality, trade and capital flows, climate and gender.
Recent contributions include the nexus between income inequality and growth, the political economy of structural and climate policies the growth benefits of gender inclusion; trade and capital flow policies and the role of the IMF. His books include Confronting Inequality (Columbia University Press), Taming the Tide of Capital Flows (MIT Press) and Sovereign GDP-Linked Bonds: Rationale and Design (CEPR Press). He has ranked consistently in the top one percent of economics citations globally over the past decade.
He speaks English and French.
He is Professor of Economics, Global Affairs and Public Policy at the University of Toronto, a Research Fellow at the Centre for Economic Policy Research and Senior Fellow at the CD Howe Institute. Previously, he worked in senior roles at the International Monetary Fund, including as Deputy Director of the Research Department and Acting Director of the Asia and Pacific department. He holds a PhD in Economics from the University of Chicago.
Disclosure of interests
Featured work
Economic development, carbon emissions and climate policies
Yes, there is an Environmental Kuznets Curve: economic development can be a pathway to lower per-capita emissions
Once per-capita income hits $25,000, as a global average, per-capita emissions tend to fall, with the drop made swifter by strong climate policies
Gender diversity and economic growth
The gains from gender inclusiveness are likely to be much larger than standard economic models estimate
Diversity and inclusion aren’t just about equity, they’re about efficiency too
Adding more women to the workforce delivers a bigger GDP boost than simply employing more men
All work
Working paper
08 September 2025
First Glance
08 September 2025
Yes, there is an Environmental Kuznets Curve: economic development can be a pathway to lower per-capita emissions
Once per-capita income hits $25,000, as a global average, per-capita emissions tend to fall, with the drop made swifter by strong climate policies
Working paper
24 February 2025
Gender diversity and economic growth
The gains from gender inclusiveness are likely to be much larger than standard economic models estimate
First Glance
03 February 2025
Diversity and inclusion aren’t just about equity, they’re about efficiency too
Adding more women to the workforce delivers a bigger GDP boost than simply employing more men
Newsletter
03 June 2024
Working paper
27 May 2024
Navigating the treacherous political economy of structural reform
In setting economic policy, politicians should pay attention to the latest economic data and to when they next need to face voters at the polls
Analysis
25 January 2024
Climate policies carry political costs, but those costs can be mitigated
Climate policies must be calibrated carefully if they are to be accepted by the public and thus not hurt politicians’ electoral chances.
Working paper
23 October 2023
Recessions, the energy mix and environmental policy
This paper highlights that recessions result in permanent increases in energy efficiency and in the share of renewables in total electricity.
Working paper
01 June 2023
A new measure of aggregate trade restrictions: cyclical drivers and macro effects
In this paper, we present a new measure of aggregate trade restrictions.