Markets don’t just drive the economy – they shape our society. As long-held truths are challenged and new systems take form, we need a deeper understanding of what markets are, how they work, and what they should deliver. With support from the Handelsbanken Research Foundations, the Stockholm School of Economics is now establishing a new professorship and a new interdisciplinary research center.

Russia’s attempt to fight back against international sanctions is steering its economy toward more government control and less competition. This new policy brief analysis, by Anna Anisimova from the Stockholm Institute of Transition Economics (SITE), reveals how measures meant to protect the economy are instead tightening state grip on industries, stifling growth, and threatening fiscal stability.

Russia's car market is struggling under the weight of war, sanctions, and inflation—and it's starting to show deeper cracks in the country’s economy. A new policy brief from the Stockholm Institute of Transition Economics (SITE) reveals how the decline in new car sales tells a broader story about weakening household finances and growing financial risks.

Stockholm School of Economics is proud to congratulate Assistant Professor Diogo Mendes for being awarded for his exceptional contribution to the Corporate Finance course within the MSc in International Business program at SSE.

As part of its ongoing research on the economic consequences of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Stockholm Institute of Transition Economics (SITE) has presented a new report to Sweden’s Minister of Finance. The report provides updated insights into the growing imbalances in the Russian war economy and the financial challenges the government faces in sustaining its current level of military spending.

Finnish politicians are on average more intelligent, motivated, and honest than the general population. Jaakko Meriläinen, Assistant Professor at the Department of Economics at SSE, and co-authors show in a new study that both local and national politicians demonstrate higher cognitive and non-cognitive abilities, suggesting that voters and parties effectively select capable leaders.

Today is the International Day of Happiness, a UN initiative to highlight the importance of well-being. It’s also the day the World Happiness Report is released – the global ranking of the happiest countries. And once again, Sweden holds its place at the top, securing fourth place out of 147 nations, just behind our Nordic neighbors Finland, Denmark, and Iceland. But what does this ranking actually mean for Swedes? And why is it something to celebrate?

Johanna Wallenius, Professor of Economics at the Department of Economics at SSE, has been appointed member of the Finnish Economic Policy Council. The appointment starts beginning of April, 2025.

SSE researchers Anna Dreber and Magnus Johannesson, together with PhD Student Yifan Yang, have been honored with the 2024 Best Article Award from the journal Economic Inquiry. Their study has been recognized for its significant contribution to the field of economics and research transparency.

People with certain genetic traits tend to earn more and enjoy better health. But genes alone don’t tell the whole story. A new study co-authored by Magnus Johannesson, Professor at the Department of Economics at SSE, explores how income, education and health outcomes are genetically intertwined – and shaped by society.