IMF says Middle East, North Africa and Pakistan GDP to contract 1.3pc in 2026
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Thursday forecast a sharp drop in economic output in Pakistan, the Middle East and North Africa this year due to the US-Israeli-led war against Iran, followed by a rebound to 6.6 per cent growth in 2027, while warning that further energy production disruptions could worsen the outlook. The IMF said the region’s output was expected to contract by 1.3pc as a result of the war’s impact on energy production, shipping, tourism, trade and confidence. Economic output would increase sharply in 2027, but output in those economies would generally stay below…
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Two or more outlets reported this story and its reliability score reached 65%, so WorldPulse marks it verified. That means more than one outlet says so, not that it is proven true.
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[Claude] Both other reports cover the same IMF regional growth forecast announced Thursday, and neither contradicts Report 1's figures.
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Not in the score: AI checks and reader flags. Verified is separate: two or more independent outlets and a score of at least 65%.
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