Governance 2021
Strategies for change: central banks’ quest for diversity
Dedicated diversity strategies remain uncommon among central banks, despite growing recognition of the need for better minority representation
Boards or committees tend to set monetary policy
Some central banks set the same monetary policies as part of supra-national institutions
Governments often play role in appointing boards
Boards often mix government members, central bank officials and non-execs
Formal strategy committees remain relatively rare
Boards of directors are widely used but specialist oversight committees are less common
Central bank mandates differ between advanced and emerging economies
Governance Benchmark 2021 data shows emerging economy central banks more likely to have financial stability mandate
Central banks take different routes to financial stability
Some give ultimate authority to governors but others use committees
Governor salaries 12 times higher than GNI per capita
Salaries ranged between $33,101 and $723,551
Few central banks have diversity or sustainability policies
Eight in 10 have a whistleblower policy
Governors can serve 25+ years at 40% of central banks
Governors in high and upper-middle central banks have longest possible tenures
Governors at four in five central banks left before their term ended
Countries with highest governor turnover were experiencing political instability
Most central banks accountable to legislature
Chains of accountability vary and there does not appear to be one ‘gold standard’
Four in 10 central banks have legal right to be consulted on mandate changes
Most have legal restrictions on their ability to use monetary financing to fund the government