
Audio By Carbonatix
The global economy is expected to pick up this year — but the International Monetary Fund is less optimistic about the recovery than it was a few months ago.
The group said Monday that weaknesses in emerging markets, such as India, and growing social unrest had caused it to downgrade its forecast for economic growth in 2020. The IMF now expects 3.3% growth in 2020, down from its 3.4% projection in October.
That would still mark an improvement from 2019, when growth likely came in at 2.9%, according to the IMF. And its economists note that some risks have eased.
Market sentiment has jumped on "tentative signs" that global manufacturing and trade will improve from here on out, the IMF said in its report. Monetary stimulus, "intermittent favorable news" on US-China trade negotiations and reduced anxiety about a messy Brexit have also improved the global mood.
Yet some confidence may be premature. The IMF also downgraded its outlook for growth in 2021 by 0.2 percentage points to 3.4%.
"Few signs of turning points are yet visible in global macroeconomic data," it said in its report.
One immediate concern is that developing economies won't be as resilient as expected. The IMF now pegs India's growth at 5.8% in 2020, up from 4.8% last year but a full 1.2 percentage points below what it forecast in October.
The IMF said domestic demand in India "has slowed more sharply than expected" because of stress in its financial sector and lower credit growth. It also moderated expectations for growth in Mexico, Chile and South Africa.
The outlook for the US economy remains stable, if not particularly encouraging. Growth is predicted to fall from 2.3% in 2019 to 2% in 2020. That's 0.1 percentage points lower than the IMF projected in October.
Latest Stories
-
Tony Elumelu retires as UBA Group Chairman after 12 years; Emmanuel Nnorom takes over
3 minutes -
Flood Mitigation Task Force to demolish buildings blocking waterways in Damfa , Oyarifa and Tesa
11 minutes -
Digital fraud, card disputes top banking complaints in 2025 – BoG Report
24 minutes -
NDC regional treasurer challenges suspension of Walewale Zongo caucus coordinator
31 minutes -
MobileMoney Fintech deepens trust and security across MoMo ecosystem with KYC update
45 minutes -
Congo says confirmed Ebola cases rise to 1,561, including 506 deaths
59 minutes -
Nigerian student dies after suffering injuries in Russian airstrike
1 hour -
The Accra Floods: Whiles we build a new city, let’s fix the one we have
1 hour -
Digital fraud shows criminals have moved from the street to the screen – Prof. Bokpin
2 hours -
‘Trust is a currency’: BoG warns fraud could derail Ghana’s push towards a cash-lite economy
2 hours -
Finance Ministry flags $4.2m in unretired GARID Funds under Akufo-Addo government
2 hours -
Financial literacy must become part of Ghana’s anti-fraud strategy – Economist
2 hours -
Interior Minister urges GIS Commanders to develop sustainable solutions to service delivery
3 hours -
$65m flood protection cash was diverted to Covid under Akufo-Addo – Finance Ministry
3 hours -
Build Ghanaian coaches – ADC urges after Black Stars World Cup exit
3 hours