On Monday, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) revised its projection for Russia’s economic growth, lowering it to 0.8% for 2026 while raising the global growth outlook to 3.3%.
Previously, the IMF had estimated that Russia’s GDP would grow by 1% in 2026, but this figure has now been reduced by 0.2% in the most recent World Economic Outlook report.
According to the IMF, Russia’s growth forecast is lower than the average for emerging markets, which stands at 4.2%, and below the 1.8% expected for advanced economies this year.
The Central Bank of Russia has estimated that GDP growth for 2026 will range from 0.5% to 1.5%, while the Economic Development Ministry has projected a growth rate of 1.3%.
For 2025, the IMF maintained its forecast for Russia at a modest 0.6%, marking a significant decline from the 4.3% growth observed in 2024, which was driven by increased defense expenditures. Looking ahead, the IMF anticipates that Russia’s GDP will expand by 1% in 2027.
On a global scale, the IMF has increased its growth forecast for 2026 by 0.2 percentage points to 3.3%, fueled by expected advancements in artificial intelligence investments.
The IMF projects a 2.4% growth rate for the U.S. this year, which is 0.3 percentage points above its previous estimate from October. In comparison, growth in the eurozone is expected to be 1.3%, with Japan projected to experience a slower growth rate.
The IMF noted that much of the recent global growth upgrade can be attributed to improvements in the United States and China.
Reporting contributed by AFP.