variations in country growth rates, monetary policies, and the lower price of oil. By redistributing
demand toward countries with more difficult macroeconomic conditions and less policy space, these
changes could be beneficial to the global outlook.
The result would be less risk of more severe distress
and its possible spillover effects in these economies.
The net effect of these forces can be seen in higher
projected growth this year in advanced economies
relative to 2014, but slower projected growth in
emerging markets. Nevertheless, emerging markets
and developing economies still account for more than
70 percent of global growth in 2015.
This growth outlook for emerging markets primarily reflects more subdued prospects for some large
emerging market economies as well as weaker activity
in some major oil exporters because of the sharp
drop in oil prices. The authorities in China are now
expected to put greater weight on reducing vulnerabilities from recent rapid credit and investment growth.
Hence the forecast assumes a further slowdown in
investment, particularly in real estate. The outlook for
Brazil is affected by a drought, the tightening of macroeconomic policies, and weak private sector sentiment, related in part to the fallout from the Petrobras
investigation. The growth forecasts for Russia reflect
the economic impact of sharply lower oil prices and
increased geopolitical tensions. For other emerging
market commodity exporters, the impact of lower oil
and other commodity prices on the terms of trade and
real incomes is projected to take a toll on mediumterm growth. Growth in emerging markets is expected
to pick up in 2016, driving an increase in global
growth to 3.8 percent, mostly reflecting some waning
of downward pressures on activity in countries and
regions with weak growth in 2015, such as Russia,
Brazil, and the rest of Latin America.
In many emerging market and developing economies, macroeconomic policy space to support growth
remains limited. In oil importers, however, lower
oil prices will reduce inflation pressure and external
vulnerabilities, and in economies with oil subsidies,
the lower prices may provide some fiscal space or,
WORLD ECONOMIC OUTLOOK: UNEVEN GROWTH—SHORT- AND LONG-TERM FACTORS