Jonathan D. Ostry

Jonathan D. Ostry is a Professor of Economics, Global Affairs, and Public Policy at the University of Toronto, affiliated with the Munk School and Department of Economics. He is a Research Fellow at the Center for Economic Policy Research (CEPR) in London, a Non-Resident Fellow at Bruegel in Brussels, and serves on the Global Risks Advisory Board of the World Economic Forum. Previously, he held senior roles at the IMF, including Deputy Director of Research and Acting Director for the Asia-Pacific region. His academic career includes faculty positions at Georgetown University and Queen’s University. He holds a PhD in Economics from the University of Chicago and degrees from Oxford University and the London School of Economics.

Research interests focus on international capital flows, income inequality, fiscal sustainability, and climate policy. His work on capital controls influenced IMF policy shifts, while his studies on inequality and growth argue that high inequality and growth instability are interlinked. He has authored influential books like Taming the Tide of Capital Flows (2018) and Confronting Inequality (2019). His policy-relevant research on climate measures emphasizes designing policies to mitigate political backlash through equitable burden-sharing.

• Education: PhD (University of Chicago), MSc (LSE), BSc (Queen’s University), PPE (Oxford University).
• Awards: Top 1% Economist (RePEc), Senior Fellow at CD Howe Institute, CEPR Research Fellowship.

His articles span topics like trade policy reforms, fiscal sustainability, and the political economy of structural reforms. Current affiliations include advisory roles at global institutions and media contributions to outlets like Project Syndicate. He teaches courses on inequality and growth at the Munk School.