The WEF’s Chief Economists Outlook from May 2022 cited “the perfect storm”, and listed 6 expectations for the future of the global economy:
1. Higher inflation alongside lower real wages globally
2. Food insecurity in developing economies
3. More localization, diversification and politicization of supply chains
4. Greater rollback of globalization in goods, labor and technology than services
5. Sanctions effective in dampening the economic outlook for Russia
6. Continued dominance of the US dollar as a global reserve currency
Additionally, the report cites that it is an incredibly complex environment for policy makers around the globe to navigate, specifying there are tough trade-offs to make.
They are:
1. Balancing the risks of inflation and contraction
2. Balancing the risks of food, fuel and inequality crisis with higher debt and the risk of default
3. Balancing the risks of continued fossil fuel use against the shift to green energy
4. Balancing national priorities with long-term, global goals
In April, the WEF downgraded its forecasts on 143 countries, representing 86% of global GDP, and noted that in the short period of time since then, the situation has worsened.
Source: Simply Wall Street