Claudio Borio

Claudio Borio

Former Head of Monetary and Economic Department

Bank for International Settlements (BIS)

Biography

Mr Borio was appointed Head of the Monetary and Economic Department at the Bank for International Settlements on 18 November 2013 until 31 December 2024. He has been at the BIS since 1987, holding various positions in the Monetary and Economic Department including Deputy Head of MED and Director of Research and Statistics, and Head of Secretariat for the Committee on the Global Financial System and the Gold and Foreign Exchange Committee (now the Markets Committee).

From 1985 to 1987, Mr Borio worked as economist at the OECD in the country studies branch of the Economics and Statistics Department. Prior to that he was Lecturer and Research Fellow at Brasenose College, Oxford University. He holds a DPhil and MPhil in Economics and a BA in Politics, Philosophy and Economics from Oxford University.

Mr Borio is author of numerous publications in the fields of monetary policy, banking, finance and issues related to financial stability. His research has been influential in shaping central banking practices and policy discussions at major central banks and international financial institutions worldwide.

Publications

Whither inflation targeting as a global monetary standard?

Claudio Borio (2024) - BIS Working Papers, No. 1170

Critically assesses the future of inflation targeting as the dominant monetary policy framework. Questions whether this approach remains adequate for addressing contemporary challenges including financial stability, climate change, and evolving economic structures.

Monetary Hierarchy

Back to the future: Intellectual challenges for monetary policy

Claudio Borio (2021) - Economic Papers: A Journal of Applied Economics and Policy, 40(4), 273-287

Critically examines the intellectual foundations of contemporary monetary policy. Argues for a return to pre-modern synthesis insights about money, finance, and the real economy to address current policy challenges.

Monetary Hierarchy Reflux Dynamics

Monetary and Fiscal Policy: Privileged powers, entwined responsibilities

Claudio Borio, Piti Disyatat (2021) - SUERF Policy Note, No. 238

Analyzes the fundamental relationships between monetary and fiscal policy. Argues that their operational boundaries are more intertwined than commonly recognized, with important implications for policy coordination and central bank independence.

Monetary Hierarchy Balance Sheet Relations

On money, debt, trust, and central banking

Claudio Borio (2019) - Cato Journal, 39, 267-286

Explores the fundamental relationships between money, debt, and trust in modern financial systems. Examines how central banking has evolved and the challenges facing monetary authorities in maintaining stability and confidence in an interconnected global economy.

Endogenous Risk Balance Sheet Relations

Dollar debt in FX swaps and forwards: huge, missing and growing

Claudio Borio, Robert McCauley, Patrick McGuire (2017) - BIS Quarterly Review, September 2017

Reveals a massive "hidden" dollar debt market through FX derivatives worth approximately $60 trillion. Demonstrates how this off-balance-sheet funding creates systemic vulnerabilities and challenges traditional views of international capital flows.

Derivatives Research Crossborder Flows Endogenous Risk