India has strongest growth outlook globally; 74% chief economists expect strong growth: WEF
India's growth outlook is the strongest globally, with 74 percent of economists expecting strong growth in 2026. Domestic demand continues to show resilience, though energy prices remain a significant concern. Only 45 percent of economists expect global conditions to weaken in the coming year, a significant decrease from previous assessments. Geopolitical conflicts are viewed as major risks to…
India has been ranked with the strongest growth outlook among economies surveyed by the World Economic Forum's Chief Economists' Outlook for September 2026. A significant 74% of the chief economists polled expect strong or very strong growth in India over the next year, a marked increase from 52% in May. The forecast for India's growth in 2026-27 has been raised to 6.7%. This positive outlook is attributed to sustained domestic demand, despite higher energy prices acting as a drag on growth.
In comparison to other major economies, South-East Asia follows India, with 73% of economists foreseeing strong or very strong growth. China, however, is predicted to experience weak growth by 31% of the surveyed economists. Europe ranks as the weakest-performing region, with 61% anticipating weak or very weak growth.
The global economic outlook has shown signs of stability, with only 45% of chief economists predicting worsening conditions over the next year, a significant drop from 89% in May. A majority, 56%, anticipate the global outlook to either remain unchanged or improve. The anticipation of global inflation has also eased, with 50% expecting it to rise, compared to 94% in May.
Despite the favorable outlook, risks persist. Geopolitical conflicts were identified by 97% of respondents as a significant source of global economic uncertainty over the next year, followed by asset price corrections at 58%. Only 25% expect global economic resilience to increase. Chief economists suggest that resilience will increasingly depend on economic diversification, flexible supply chains, technological acceleration, and energy-market adaptation.
Fiscal support, once a major source of resilience, now accounts for only 28% of the forward-looking assessment due to governments facing tighter fiscal constraints. The global economy, while remarkably resilient through successive shocks, is warned to require greater adaptation as geopolitical, energy, and technological pressures continue.
Written by urgent.news from The Economic Times - Economy's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
