Global economy shows signs of steady but subdued growth: UN

The World Economic Situation and Prospects 2026 predicts that global economic output will grow by 2.7 percent this year.

The global economy has shown resilience amid turbulence during the past year, including shifting trade policies – yet growth remains subdued and far below pre-pandemic levels, the UN said in a landmark report published on Thursday.

The World Economic Situation and Prospects 2026 predicts that global economic output will grow by 2.7 percent this year, or slightly below the 2.8 percent estimated for 2025 and well below the pre-pandemic average of 3.2 percent.

The report noted that a sharp increase in United States tariffs “created new trade frictions, though the absence of broader escalation helped limit immediate disruptions to international commerce.”

Unexpected resilience to the tariffs shock, supported by solid consumer spending and easing inflation, helped sustain growth but underlying weaknesses persist.

Subdued investment and limited fiscal space are weighing on economic activity, meaning that the world economy could settle into a persistently slower growth path than in the pre-pandemic era.

A partial easing of trade tensions has helped limit disruptions to international commerce but the impact of higher tariffs, coupled with elevated macroeconomic uncertainties, is expected to become more evident this year.

The report noted that financial conditions have eased amid monetary loosening and improved consumer sentiment, but risks remain high, given elevated asset valuations especially in sectors linked to rapid advances in artificial intelligence (AI).

Meanwhile, high debt levels and borrowing costs are constraining policy space, particularly for many developing economies.

“A combination of economic, geopolitical and technological tensions is reshaping the global landscape, generating new economic uncertainty and social vulnerabilities,” said UN Secretary-General António Guterres.

He warned, however, that “many developing economies continue to struggle” which is putting progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at risk.

The report finds that economic growth in the United States is projected at 2.0 percent in 2026 – compared to 1.9 percent in 2025 – supported by monetary and fiscal easing, though a softening labour market will likely influence momentum.

In the European Union, economic growth is forecast at 1.3 percent, down from 1.5 percent in 2025, as higher US tariffs and ongoing geopolitical uncertainty dampen exports.

Meanwhile, in East Asia, growth is projected at 4.4 percent, down from 4.9 percent the previous year, as the boost from front-loaded exports fades. The region’s largest economy, China, is expected to grow by 4.6 percent – slightly lower than in 2025 – supported by targeted policy measures.

Growth in South Asia is forecast at 5.6 percent in 2026, easing from 5.9 percent in 2025. This is being led by India’s 6.6 percent expansion which the experts said is driven by resilient consumption and substantial public investment.

In Africa, output is projected to grow by 4.0 percent – a slight uptick from 3.9 percent in 2025, but high debt and climate-related shocks pose significant risks.

In Latin America and the Caribbean, output is expected to expand by 2.3 percent this year, slightly down from 2.4 percent in 2025, amid moderate growth in consumer demand and a mild recovery in investment.

The report found that global trade proved resilient in 2025, expanding by a faster-than-expected 3.8 percent despite elevated policy uncertainty and rising tariffs.

This expansion was driven by the front-loading of shipments early in the year and robust growth in services trade, however momentum is expected to ease and trade growth is projected to slow to 2.2 percent.

At the same time, investment growth has remained subdued in most regions due to geopolitical tensions and tight fiscal conditions.

The report noted that monetary easing and targeted fiscal measures have supported investment in some economies, while rapid advances in AI fuelled pockets of strong capital spending in a few large markets.

However, any potential gains from AI are likely to be unevenly distributed, which could widen existing structural inequalities.

The report also underscored that high prices remain a key global challenge even as disinflation continued.

Headline inflation declined from 4.0 percent in 2024, to an estimated 3.4 percent in 2025 and is projected to slow further to 3.1 percent this year.

“Even as inflation recedes, high and still rising prices continue to erode the purchasing power of the most vulnerable,” said Junhua Li, UN Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs.

The report calls for deeper global coordination and decisive collective action amid the current era of trade realignments, persistent price pressures and climate-related shocks.

© ZAWYA