JERUSALEM, Oct. 13 (Xinhua) -- The International Monetary Fund (IMF) expects Israel's economic growth to accelerate to 4.5 percent in 2026, up from 3.5 percent in 2025, according to its October 2026 World Economic Outlook issued on Tuesday.
The latest projection marks a significant upward revision from the IMF's April forecast, which put Israel's growth at 3.5 percent for the current year.
However, the Fund expects growth to ease slightly to 4.4 percent in 2027. In July, the Bank of Israel's Research Department projects GDP growth of 5.5 percent next year.
The IMF also lowered its inflation forecast for Israel in 2026 to 1.8 percent, down from 2.3 percent in its April report.
Globally, the IMF nudged up its 2026 economic growth forecast to 3.1 percent, up 0.1 percentage point from its July projection. The Fund said a boom in artificial intelligence investment was helping offset economic weakness in countries affected by the conflict in the Middle East. ■
