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This paper reviews recent research in the economics of human development, focusing on the early years of life as a critical period for shaping long-term outcomes. Early childhood development is inherently multidimensional: cognitive and socioemotional skills evolve dynamically and interact with health, nutritional, and environmental influences. Economists have contributed to this field by providing a conceptual and unifying framework that highlights how key drivers of development reflect the choices of individuals operating under both incentives and constraints. The paper emphasizes two central challenges: understanding the interactions among multiple dimensions of development and identifying causal links, particularly the effects of different inputs at different ages. Measurement issues are a recurring theme, given the difficulty of assessing young children and the need for comparability across contexts. By discussing early childhood interventions in both developed and developing countries, the paper also stresses these issues’ policy relevance for poverty reduction and social mobility.
