World Economic Outlook
A Survey by the IMF staff usually published twice a year. It presents IMF staff economists' analyses of global economic developments during the near and medium term. Chapters give an overview as well as more detailed analysis of the world economy; consider issues affecting industrial countries, developing countries, and economies in transition to market; and address topics of pressing current interest. Annexes, boxes, charts, and an extensive statistical appendix augment the text.
See also, the World Economic Databases
April 16, 2024
2014
IMF World Economic Outlook (WEO) - Recovery Strengthens, Remains Uneven, April 2014 -- Table of Contents
April 3, 2014
Description: IMF World Economic Outlook (WEO), April 2014 . Global activity has broadly strengthened and is expected to improve further in 2014–15, according to the April 2014 WEO, with much of the impetus for growth coming from advanced economies. Although downside risks have diminished overall, lower-than-expected inflation poses risks for advanced economies, there is increased financial volatility in emerging market economies, and increases in the cost of capital will likely dampen investment and weigh on growth. Advanced economy policymakers need to avoid a premature withdrawal of monetary accommodation. Emerging market economy policymakers must adopt measures to changing fundamentals, facilitate external adjustment, further monetary policy tightening, and carry out structural reforms. The report includes a chapter that analyzes the causes of worldwide decreases in real interest rates since the 1980s and concludes that global rates can be expected to rise in the medium term, but only moderately. Another chapter examines factors behind the fluctuations in emerging market economies’ growth and concludes that strong growth in China played a key role in buffering the effects of the global financial crisis in these economies. Table of Contents
IMF World Economic Outlook (WEO) Update: Is the Tide Rising?
January 21, 2014
Description: Global activity strengthened during the second half of 2013, as anticipated in the October 2013 World Economic Outlook (WEO). Activity is expected to improve further in 2014–15, largely on account of recovery in the advanced economies. Global growth is now projected to be slightly higher in 2014 at around 3.7 percent, rising to 3.9 percent in 2015, a broadly unchanged outlook from the October 2013 WEO. But downward revisions to growth forecasts in some economies highlight continued fragilities, and downside risks remain.
2013
IMF World Economic Outlook (WEO) - Transitions and Tensions, October 2013 -- Table of Contents
October 7, 2013
Description: IMF World Economic Outlook (WEO), October 2013 -- table of Contents: Global growth is in low gear, and the drivers of activity are changing. These dynamics raise new policy challenges. Advanced economies are growing again but must continue financial sector repair, pursue fiscal consolidation, and spur job growth. Emerging market economies face the dual challenges of slowing growth and tighter global financial conditions. This issue of the World Economic Outlook examines the potential spillovers from these transitions and the appropriate policy responses. Chapter 3 explores how output comovements are influenced by policy and financial shocks, growth surprises, and other linkages. Chapter 4 assesses why certain emerging market economies were able to avoid the classical boom-and-bust cycle in the face of volatile capital flows during the global financial crisis.
IMF World Economic Outlook (WEO) Update -- Growing Pains, July 2013
July 9, 2013
Description: Global growth is projected to remain subdued at slightly above 3 percent in 2013, the same as in 2012. This is less than forecast in the April 2013 World Economic Outlook (WEO), driven to a large extent by appreciably weaker domestic demand and slower growth in several key emerging market economies, as well as a more protracted recession in the euro area. Downside risks to global growth prospects still dominate: while old risks remain, new risks have emerged, including the possibility of a longer growth slowdown in emerging market economies, especially given risks of lower potential growth, slowing credit, and possibly tighter financial conditions if the anticipated unwinding of monetary policy stimulus in the United States leads to sustained capital flow reversals.
IMF World Economic Outlook (WEO) - Hopes, Realities, and Risks, April 2013 -- Table of Contents
April 16, 2013
Description: IMF World Economic Outlook (WEO), April 2013 -- table of Contents
IMF World Economic Outlook (WEO) Update -- Gradual Upturn in Global Growth During 2013, January 2013
January 23, 2013
Description: Global growth is projected to increase during 2013, as the factors underlying soft global activity are expected to subside. However, this upturn is projected to be more gradual than in the October 2012 World Economic Outlook (WEO) projections. Policy actions have lowered acute crisis risks in the euro area and the United States. But in the euro area, the return to recovery after a protracted contraction is delayed.
2012
IMF World Economic Outlook (WEO) - Coping with High Debt and Sluggish Growth, October 2012 -- Table of Contents
October 9, 2012
Description: IMF World Economic Outlook (WEO), October 2012 -- table of Contents
IMF World Economic Outlook (WEO) Update -- New Setbacks, Further Policy Action Needed, July 2012
July 16, 2012
Description: n the past three months, the global recovery, which was not strong to start with, has shown signs of further weakness. Financial market and sovereign stress in the euro area periphery have ratcheted up, close to end-2011 levels. Growth in a number of major emerging market economies has been lower than forecast. Partly because of a somewhat better-than-expected first quarter, the revised baseline projections in this WEO Update suggest that these developments will only result in a minor setback to the global outlook, with global growth at 3.5 percent in 2012 and 3.9 percent in 2013, marginally lower than in the April 2012 World Economic Outlook.
IMF World Economic Outlook (WEO) - Growth Resuming, Dangers Remain, April 2012
April 17, 2012
Description: IMF World Economic Outlook (WEO), April 2012