Pierre-Olivier Gournichas, Director of IMF Research Department, speaks during an economic outlook briefing during the 2026 IMF and World Bank Group Spring Meetings in Washington, DC, on April 14, 2026. KENT NISHIMURA / AFP
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) cut its 2026 global growth projection on Tuesday, April 14, warning that the world economy could be "thrown off course" by war in the Middle East, as the conflict roils commodity markets and drives up prices. The global economy is set to grow by 3.1% this year, said the IMF in its World Economic Outlook report, released during its spring meetings in Washington.
This is down from 3.3% forecast in January before hostilities erupted as US-Israeli strikes against Iran started on February 28, prompting Tehran's retaliation and sparking a broader conflict in the region. "We were planning to upgrade growth for 2026 to 3.4%" if not for the war, IMF chief economist Pierre-Olivier Gourinchas told Agence France-Presse.
Subscribers only
How war is reshaping the global economy
