World Bank Appoints Chief Economist

World Bank Appoints Chief Economist

Nobel Prize-winning economist Michael Kremer has been appointed chief economist and senior vice president for development economics at the World Bank Group, effective October 1, 2026.

World Bank President Ajay Banga said Kremer’s experience in identifying and scaling practical solutions to development challenges would strengthen the institution’s research, data and policy work.

Kremer, a University of Chicago professor and development economist, shared the 2019 Nobel Prize in Economics with Abhijit Banerjee and Esther Duflo for their experimental approach to tackling global poverty.

His research has influenced programmes in education, healthcare, agriculture and finance across developing countries, while his work on vaccines, deworming and digital agriculture has reached millions of people.