The Weakest Growth Since COVID-19 — and What Comes Next
World Bank Newsletter
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June 12, 2026 The numbers tell a sobering story. Global growth is slowing to its weakest pace in nearly 20 years, a quarter of developing economies will end 2026 poorer than before COVID-19, and the Middle East conflict is pushing energy prices and inflation higher still. Our latest Global Economic Prospects report lays out what that means — and why the 2030s could still deliver, if the world moves now on AI, clean energy, and regional trade. Even against that backdrop, progress is being made:
Coming up: Nobel Laureate Daron Acemoglu takes the stage at the Annual Bank Conference on Development Economics to tackle one of the defining questions of our time: "What will it take to create good jobs for the next generation?" Tune in to World Bank Live June 16–17. |
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 The first half of this decade has been marked by setbacks for developing economies, but they don't have to define what comes next. Our latest Global Economic Prospects report maps the damage and charts three forces — AI, clean energy, and regional trade — that could transform growth in the decade ahead.
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EDITOR'S PICKS |
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Port efficiency isn't just a logistics question — it shapes trade costs, economic growth, and access to goods for millions of people. The latest Container Port Performance Index takes stock of how the world's ports are performing and which ports have the most to gain.
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Training the next generation of physicians in a worn-torn country is an act of resilience. With IFC support, a new 250-bed teaching hospital will help fill that gap — training up to 150 medical students a year and opening care to 160,000 patients.
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When Uzbekistan tripled its preschool facilities and expanded enrollment from 700,000 to 2.4 million children, it didn't just transform early education — it opened doors for mothers entering the workforce and set the country on a stronger path for long-term growth.
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From the Solomon Islands to Bolivia, countries are learning that resilience works — when it's woven into budgets, systems, and communities from the start. Five hard-won lessons show how making adaptation an everyday practice protects jobs, livelihoods, and decades of development progress.
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WATCH AND LISTEN |
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 AgriConnect aims to connect smallholder farmers to markets, technology, finance, and infrastructure — with real stories from soybean innovation in Uganda to digital dairy systems in India. Explore how better policies, stronger infrastructure, and private investment can build a food sector that works for everyone. |
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DATA FOR DEVELOPMENT |
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IN THE NEWS |
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MARK YOUR CALENDAR |
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June 16-17, 2026 | 9:30 AM EDT | Hybrid |
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