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U.S. economy among the few bright spots at World Bank/IMF annual meeting

Oct 10, 2023
The meetings are being held in Morocco, still struggling to recover from a severe earthquake just a month ago. The contrast with the U.S. could not be more stark. The IMF says the U.S. is the only major economy where output has returned to pre-pandemic levels.
In its latest World Economic Outlook, the International Monetary Fund raised its forecast for U.S. economic growth.
Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images

How the war in Ukraine is affecting debt troubles for developing countries

Apr 25, 2022
Developing nations see worsening debt challenges due to the war in Ukraine.
Above, a fruit vendor waits for customers in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Higher import prices for foods are putting pressure on the currencies of developing countries, including Sri Lanka.
Ishara S. Kodikara/AFP via Getty Images

In a time of war, "sustainability of the government is No. 1," says former Ukraine finance minister

Mar 21, 2022
Ukraine’s economy is being strangled, says Natalie Jaresko, citing the need for international support as well as Russian reparations.
Ukraine will need hundreds of billions of dollars for reconstruction, said Natalie Jaresko, shown speaking in Washington, D.C. "The first source of that should be reparations from Russia."
Kenny Holston/Getty Images

IMF upgrades its economic forecast, but the virus remains in control

Jan 26, 2021
Chief economist Gita Gopinath explains why there's still a lot of uncertainty weighing on the global economy.
"We have a small upgrade of .3%," says IMF chief economist Gita Gopinath about the latest World Economic Outlook. "But there is tremendous uncertainty because we have a mutating virus. And we are in this race with vaccinations."
Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images

IMF encourages countries affected by COVID to keep spending on safety net

Oct 13, 2020
For the world's poorest, the pandemic has exacerbated their situation.
A woman walks past a promotional poster for the virtual 2020 International Monetary Fund annual meetings, outside their  headquarters in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 13, 2020.
Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images

IMF's Christine Lagarde: a firefighter and an architect

Feb 21, 2019
The International Monetary Fund managing director on her dual role, the rise of inequality, the repercussions of the global trade war and women in finance.
Christine Lagarde, managing director of the International Monetary Fund, during the IMF and the World Bank Group 2018 spring meetings in Washington, D.C., in 2018.
Jim Watson/AFP/Getty Images

IMF lowers global outlook again

Jan 21, 2019
Christine Lagarde, chief of the International Monetary Fund, cautions that global growth is slowing down more than expected earlier. Click the audio player above to hear the full story.
International Monetary Fund Managing Director Christine Lagarde speaks at the Plenary session during the IMF/World Bank Annual Meetings Oct.13, 2017. 
Stephen Jaffe/IMF via Getty Images

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Questions abound as World Bank seeks new leader

Jan 8, 2019
The head of the World Bank, Jim Kim, announced his resignation Monday — a surprise given that he’s still got a few years left on his term. So now the search is on to find his replacement. Traditionally, the World Bank’s been led by an American, while the International Monetary Fund has been run by […]

For Ukraine, IMF delivers a gift with strings

Dec 25, 2018
You know Dasher and Dancer and Prancer and Vixen. How about the International Monetary Fund? The global financial lender is about to deliver to Ukraine the first installment of almost $4 billion in low-interest loans approved last week. It’s a complicated Christmas present, and there are conditions attached. Click the audio player above to hear […]

IMF forecasts slower global growth

Oct 9, 2018
The International Monetary Fund said Tuesday it’s shaving off some of its earlier optimism about world economic growth over the next couple years. It has downgraded its growth forecast for this year from 3.9 percent to 3.7 percent, and for next year, the IMF has ticked the world’s growth down from 2.7 percent to 2.5 […]