IMF Cuts Global Growth Projection for 2026 to 3.1 Percent

Washington (ANTARA) - The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has cut its global economic growth projection for 2026 to 3.1 percent in the World Economic Outlook (WEO) report, while retaining the forecast for 2027 at 3.2 percent.

This projection indicates a slowdown compared to the estimated 3.4 percent growth achieved in 2025. Before the outbreak of the conflict in the Middle East, the bottom-up projection for global growth was expected to reach 3.4 percent in 2026 and 3.2 percent in 2027.

Given the difficulty of making real-time projections based on a consistent set of assumptions amid the conflict, this edition’s report presents “reference projections” rather than the traditional baseline. These projections incorporate the impact of the war and assume that its duration, intensity, and scope will be limited, with disruptions expected to subside by mid-2026.

Based on these reference estimates, global headline inflation is projected to rise to 4.4 percent in 2026 and fall to 3.7 percent in 2027.