Explaining the world, daily

The Economist explains

Subjects topical and timeless, profound and peculiar, explained with The Economist's trademark clarity and brevity

The Economist explains
What is cyberpunk?

The influence of the sci-fi genre endures

The EU insists on preventing “unfair competition” as a condition for unfettered trade

Fisheries’ role as a symbol of British policy independence outweigh their economic importance

Leaving the EU is costly anyway—but without a trade deal, costlier still

Ethnic divisions have thrown Africa’s second-most-populous country into renewed conflict

Secularism is a central part of the country’s distinct legal and sociological model

Democratic protests are taken over by alleged criminals

By mimicking the body’s response, they could provide an effective treatment against the coronavirus

Would Britons be safe to gather as closely together as Danes?

Despite its success in dealing with covid-19, Taiwan will be shunned by the World Health Assembly

Governments fret that the app’s popularity plays into the hands of the Chinese surveillance state

It has become more of a national primary than a vehicle for southern Democrats