Entitled “World Economic Situation and Prospects 2025”, the report produced by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs also forecasts global economic growth at 2.8% in 2025, noting that lower inflation and Continued monetary easing could boost economic activity this year.
“While the global economy has demonstrated resilience in the face of a series of mutually reinforcing shocks, growth remains below the pre-pandemic average of 3.2%,” indicate the authors of the report, who point to the weak investment and productivity growth, in addition to high levels of debt.
For Africa, the UN report anticipates “modestly increasing” growth which goes from 3.4% in 2024 to 3.7% in 2025, thanks in particular to the revival of the main economies of the continent, adding that the increase in the cost debt service, lack of employment opportunities and the increasing severity of the effects of climate change are weighing on Africa’s economic prospects.
To respond to the world’s interconnected crises of debt, inequality and climate change, the report calls for bold multilateral action, calling on governments to avoid “overly restrictive” fiscal policies and instead focus on mobilizing investments in clean energy, infrastructure and essential social sectors such as health and education.
In the foreword to this report, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterres, notably called for making 2025 the year “in which we put the world on the path to a prosperous and sustainable future for all”.