[140616.EN.BIZ] World Bank's Global Growth Forecast Reduced To 2.4pc For 2016

THE World Bank has downgraded its 2016 global growth forecast to 2.4 per cent from the 2.9 per cent pace projected in January due to sluggish growth in advanced economies, stubbornly low commodity prices, weak global trade, and diminishing capital flows, according to the World Bank Online.

The latest update of its Global Economic Prospects report points out that commodity-exporting emerging markets and developing economies have struggled to adapt to lower prices for oil and other key commodities, and this accounts for half of the downward revision.

Growth in these economies is projected to advance at a meagre four per cent pace this year, a downward revision of 1.2 percentage points from the January outlook.

"This sluggish growth underscores why it's critically important for countries to pursue policies that will boost economic growth and improve the lives of those living in extreme poverty," said World Bank president Jim Yong Kim. "Economic growth remains the most important and that's why we're very concerned that growth is slowing sharply in commodity-exporting developing driver of poverty reduction, countries due to depressed commodity prices," he said.

Commodity-importing emerging markets and developing economies have been more resilient than exporters, although the benefits of lower prices for energy and other commodities have been slow to materialise.

These economies are forecast to expand at a 5.8 per cent rate in 2016, down modestly from the 5.9 per cent pace estimated for 2015, as low energy prices and the modest recovery in advanced economies support economic activity.

Source : HKSG, 13.06.16.