World Bank warns El Niño risks driving up global food prices

Weather phenomenon threatens to worsen problems for farmers already dealing with high fertiliser costs due to Iran war

Iran war is the worst hit to the global economy since covid, World Bank says

The World Bank says that the war is slashing global growth prospects and that a prolonged conflict could tip dozens of developing nations into years of stagnation.

By David J. Lynch

Global growth is slowing to lowest level since pandemic, says World Bank

Forecast for this year downgraded to 2.5% and inflation expected to jump as a result of war in the Middle East Global economic growth will slow to 2.5% this year as a result of the war in the Middle East – the weakest since the Covid pandemic – as inflation and borrowing costs rise, the World Bank has warned. The Washington-based development bank has downgraded growth forecasts for two-thirds of countries in its half-yearly Global Economic Prospects report. The bank estimated that global gr...

By Heather Stewart

World Bank cuts global growth outlook to 2.5%, lowest since COVID

The World Bank slashed on Thursday its global ​growth forecast for 2026 to 2.5% due to the war in the Middle East, warning growth could slow to just 1.3% if energy supply disruptio...