IMF raises its 2026 global growth forecast to 3.1%
The IMF forecasts global growth of 3.1% in 2026, up from 3.0% in its July projections, Reuters reported on 13 October. The outlook was presented during the IMF and World Bank annual meetings in Bangkok.
For 2027, the Fund keeps its projection at 3.4%, Reuters reports. The agency attributes the small upgrade for 2026 to strong investment in artificial intelligence infrastructure, partly offsetting the energy shock from the war in the Middle East.
Le Monde also reports a global forecast of 3.1% and a eurozone forecast of 1.1%. These figures are IMF projections, rather than final measurements of economic activity.
According to Reuters, the institution identifies several risks: an intensification of the war, higher borrowing costs and a reassessment of AI profitability that could curb investment. The improved forecast therefore does not mean those risks have disappeared.