IMF Raises 2026 Global Growth Forecast to 3.1% Amid AI Boom

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has raised its 2026 global economic growth forecast to 3.1%, attributing this increase to robust investment in artificial intelligence (AI). This adjustment comes despite ongoing conflicts in the Middle East that are straining global markets.

The latest World Economic Outlook report, titled “Resilience under Strain, Urgent Choices,” predicts a decline in worldwide growth from 3.5% in 2025 to 3.1% in 2026, with a rebound to 3.4% in 2027. The IMF highlights that global economic momentum is concentrated, with only 32 economies contributing to 95% of global growth.

Nearly half of the world’s economies have seen their growth forecasts downgraded. The report emphasizes that economies with limited exposure to energy shocks and strong ties to the AI hardware supply chain are performing better, while energy-importing countries, particularly low-income nations, face rising import costs and declining real incomes.

The baseline projection assumes the Strait of Hormuz will reopen in March 2027, with normalcy returning by October.