World Bank highlights key economic trends for 2026

For 2026, the World Bank highlights slowing global growth, urging countries to restore fiscal health, boost job creation (especially in medium/large firms for Sub-Saharan Africa), and implement domestic reforms.

Key trends involve managing inflation, navigating geopolitical shifts, leveraging AI for development, strengthening standards for trade, addressing the digital divide, and advancing urban development and climate resilience, with a focus on resilient, inclusive growth despite global uncertainties.

According to the World Bank, the key development trends to watch include:

Economic & Fiscal Stability

• Slowing Growth & Fiscal Prudence: Expect continued modest global growth, requiring countries to prioritize fiscal responsibility, contain inflation, and strengthen public finances.

• Job Creation: Focus shifts to creating formal, productive jobs, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa, moving beyond low-productivity informal work.

• Policy Shifts: Governments are adapting fiscal and structural policies to new geopolitical realities and fragmented trade policies.

Technology & Digitalization

• AI for Development: Continued investment in AI ecosystems and deployment of AI for resource optimization in public health, conservation, and safety.

• Digital Divide: Addressing widening gaps in digitalization between richer and poorer economies through data, policy, and investment.

Trade & Standards

• Navigating Trade Shifts: Countries are adapting to new trade dynamics and non-US trade blocs, making international standards crucial for export growth.

• Standards for Development: Leveraging global standards as a tool for economic development, quality services, and technology diffusion.

Urbanization & Climate Resilience

• Urban Transformation: Focus on secondary cities, urban-rural linkages, labor markets, and infrastructure for sustainable urban growth.

• Climate Action: Integrating climate-smart agriculture, sustainable water management, and biodiversity protection into development strategies.

Human Capital & Social Inclusion

• Investing in People: Strengthening human capital through improved education and health, as well as fostering social inclusion for vulnerable groups.

Overall, the World Bank recommends a push for resilient, inclusive growth through strategic reforms, technological adoption, and better governance, despite ongoing global uncertainties and fragmented geopolitical landscapes.

About The Author

Dele Fashomi

Dele Fashomi, seasoned journalist and communication teacher, is a holder of Master of Arts degree in Communication and Language Arts from the University of Ibadan in 1992/93.

Earlier, he had bagged a Bachelor degree from the same university in 1984, after which he proceeded to the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Lagos, in 1990, for a postgraduate diploma in Journalism.

He had done many courses in communication, including the EU-BBC Editing Course in 2002.

Mr. Fashomi combines effectively the practice, research and teaching of communication. And to date, he has published two academic works in communication: Issues in Communication Technology and Policy (2010) and Economic and Social Issues in Advertising and PR (2013).

He had his first break in the Nigerian media in Concord Newspapers in 1990 and today, he has over two and half decades experience earned in several newspapers.

He has been part of many start-ups, such as The Republic (1987), The Comet (1999), The Anchor 2001 – 2002; Sun Newspapers (2003); Westerner newsmagazine (2005 – 2010) as Editor; National Life (2011) as Sunday Editor, and Newswatch Newspapers (2012- 2016) as Daily Editor.

Dele Fashomi is now the Publisher/Editor-in-Chief of Newstide247.com newspaper online, which he started in July 2015. He is also into biography writing, with many books in his trail, some of which he wrote alone and one he co- authored with his mentor, Mr Dare Babarinsa, entitled:  Olabiyi Durojaiye – DARE TO BE DiFFERENT. He also guided and collaborated with Pa Olatunji Odusanya in writing his autobiography – AGAINST ALL ODDS. There are many other books in the works under his pen.

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