Majority of economists tentatively expect conditions to improve
13th October 2026 | Journal Of Sales Transformation
The global economy is stabilizing, but the fiscal support that cushioned successive shocks since 2020 is unlikely to play the same role in the year ahead, according to the World Economic Forum’s Chief Economists’ Outlook, published on 22 September.
A majority (56%) of chief economists surveyed expect the global outlook to remain stable or improve, a sharp improvement from May, when 89% expected conditions to weaken. The improvement comes with limited confidence that the stabilization will hold. Nearly all respondents (97%) name geopolitical conflicts as a likely source of uncertainty over the next year, 58% expect asset-price corrections, and only one-quarter expect the global economy to become more resilient.
Read the Chief Economists’ Outlook here.
- 56% of surveyed economists expect a stable or improving outlook in the year ahead, a sharp improvement from May, when 89% expected conditions to weaken.
- 69% say fiscal support drove the global economy’s resilience since 2020, but only 28% expect it to play the same role in the year ahead.
- 97% expect AI adoption to rise, but 79% foresee datacentre expansion facing significant backlash, with 61% not expecting significant global job creation.
- Household costs are set to rise, led by food (88%), electricity (83%) and transport (77%), while real incomes stagnate or fall in most regions.