OREANDA-NEWS Analysts at the German Industrial Union (BDI) have lowered their forecast for global economic growth in 2026. This is reported in a report published on the organization's website.

Experts expect global economic growth to slow down by almost 0.5 percentage points (pp) this year. By the end of 2026, they believe, the growth rate of global GDP will be 3 percent.

Analysts cited the negative consequences of the war between the United States and Iran in the Middle East as the main reason for the change in assessment. Against the background of large-scale disruptions in the supply of regional energy resources, Tanya Genner, head of BDI, explained that global risks and uncertainty for business remain high.

A deeper slowdown in growth rates, the organization notes, will most likely be avoided by investing in artificial intelligence (AI). If it were not for the conflict in the Middle East, the BDI noted, the revival of demand and the boom in this area could accelerate the increase in global GDP to about 3.3-3.4 percent against 3.2 percent in 2025.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) had previously warned about the serious risks to the global economy due to the war in the Middle East. The regional crisis, the organization stated, could lead to increased inflationary pressures and long-term disruption of commodity supply chains. Against this background, the IMF also expects global GDP growth to slow to 3 percent in 2026.