IMF expects global GDP to shrink by 4.9% in 2020

AKIPRESS.COM - The International Monetary Fund has lowered its global growth forecast for this year and next in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. It now predicts a decline of almost 5% in 2020, substantially worse than its forecast only 10 weeks ago in April.
The IMF's managing director, Kristalina Georgieva, had already warned that the April forecast had been overtaken by events, and that the likely path of the global economy was looking worse.
That is reflected in the new projections for both the world and the British economy.
The recession caused by the pandemic - globally and in many individual countries - is likely to be deeper than the IMF previously thought.
The previous April forecasts were a 6.5% decline for the UK and 3% for the world.
The gloomier outlook partly reflects the fact that data since April have pointed to a sharper downturn than the earlier forecast envisaged.
The IMF how expects a larger hit to consumer spending. The report points out something that is unusual about this downturn.
Usually people dip into savings, or get help from family and welfare systems to reduce the fluctuations in their spending. Consumer spending usually takes a much smaller hit in a downturn than business investment.
But this time, lockdowns and voluntary social distancing by people who are wary of exposing themselves to infection risks have hit demand.
The IMF also expects people to do more "precautionary saving", reducing their consumption because of the uncertain outlook ahead.
The report also warns there is likely to be more economic "scarring'". More firms going out of business and people being unemployed for longer may mean that it is harder for economic activity to bounce back as quickly as hoped.
There is also a danger that, for firms that do survive, their efficiency is likely to be in undermined by the steps they take to improve safety and hygiene - to reduce the risk of workplace transition of the coronavirus.