United?Nations to launch?2026 report?on the global economy?

Press briefing live?on??

 

The?World Economic Situation and Prospects?2026?will?present global and regional economic outlooks for the year ahead, highlighting the need for global cooperation and policies to support growth and advance progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals.?

The?report finds that the?world economy?faces the risk of a prolonged period of slower growth compared with the pre-pandemic era, with current growth?failing to deliver?broad-based development gains, leaving many countries, communities,?and households?behind.?

Geopolitical risks,?continuing?policy uncertainty and fiscal?challenges?cloud the global economic outlook. In 2025, a sharp rise in United?States tariffs unsettled the trade environment,?but?the world economy proved more resilient than expected.?In?2026, global growth is?expected?to moderate as?weaker?international trade is only partially offset by continued support from monetary easing.??

Inflation has eased?considerably in?most?economies,?yet?rising?cost of living?continue?to?strain?household budgets and?exacerbating?inequality.?Risks?of renewed supply?disruptions?remain?elevated?¡ª?stemming?from conflicts,?climate?related?disasters, trade fragmentation, and geopolitical tensions?¡ª?adding to global uncertainty.??

WHAT:?

Press briefing to launch?the?World Economic Situation and Prospects 2026

WHO:

  • Navid Hanif,?Assistant Secretary-General?for Economic Development, UN DESA (on behalf of Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs Mr. Li Junhua)
  • Shantanu Mukherjee,?Director, Economic Analysis and Policy Division, UN DESA
  • Ingo Pitterle,?Senior Economist and Officer-in-Charge,?Global Economic Monitoring Branch,?Economic Analysis and Policy Division,?UN DESA

WHEN:?Thursday,?8?January 2026, 12:45?pm?EST

WHERE:?UN Press Briefing Room, S-237?(Live on?)

The report will be available on?8?January?2026,?12:45?pm?EST?at??once the embargo has been lifted.??

Media contacts:??

  • Martin Samaan, UN Department of Global Communications,?samaanm@un.org?
  • Helen Rosengren,?UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs,?rosengrenh@un.org?

EXPERT INTERVIEW OPPORTUNITIES?

Global?Outlook?

  • Mr. Shantanu Mukherjee, Director, Economic Analysis and Policy Division (English)?
  • Mr. Ingo Pitterle,?Officer-in-Charge, Global Economic Monitoring Branch?(English,?German)?
  • Mr. Grigor?Agabekian, Economic Affairs Officer (Russian)?
  • Ms.?Zhenqian?Huang, Economic Affairs Officer (Chinese)?
  • Mr. Sebastian Vergara, Economic Affairs Officer (Spanish)??

Regional?Outlooks?

Africa?

  • Ms. Katarzyna Rokosz, Associate Economic Affairs Officer (English, Polish)?
  • Mr. Julian Slotman, Associate Economic Affairs Officer (English, Dutch)?
  • Mr. Yasuhisa Yamamoto, Economic Affairs Officer (English)?

North America?

  • Mr.?Yasuhisa Yamamoto,?Economic Affairs Officer (English)?

East Asia?

  • Ms.?Zhenqian?Huang, Economic Affairs Officer (English, Chinese)?

South Asia?

  • Ms.?Danyira?Perez, Associate Economic Affairs Officer (English, Spanish)?

Western Asia?

  • Ms. Berna Dogan, Economic Affairs Officer (English)?

Europe, Economies in?transition & Commonwealth of Independent States?

  • Mr. Ingo Pitterle, Senior Economic Affairs Officer (English, German)?
  • Mr. Grigor?Agabekian, Economic Affairs Officer (English, Russian)?

Latin America & the Caribbean?

  • Mr. Sebastian Vergara, Economic Affairs Officer (English, Spanish)?