Belgian politician and UNDP administrator
The IMF has raised its 2026 global growth forecast but warns a bifurcated global economy risks deepening inequality as AI-driven growth coexists with energy shocks from the Iran war. Advanced economies are buoyed by AI investment, while energy-importing and low-income countries face higher costs and constrained fiscal space.
The 2026 Multidimensional Poverty Index update finds 1.2 billion people live in multidimensional poverty, with 617 million children and 83% in rural areas affected. While several countries cut poverty, the overall count has risen due to data revisions and population growth; sub-Saharan Africa remains hardest hit.