IMF warns UK is set for slowest rate of growth of G7 countries

28 Jul 2022

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has warned that the UK faces the slowest rate of growth in the G7 next year.

The IMF predicts that UK economic growth will fall to 0.5% in 2023, which is considerably lower than its previous prediction of 1.2%, which was forecast in April.

Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the COVID-19 pandemic has caused the global economy to shrink, the IMF stated. It has consequently cut its 2022 global growth forecast to 3.2%.

It also said that rising prices and higher borrowing costs are continuing to squeeze households and businesses around the world. The data revealed that in the three months to July, global economic growth contracted, marking the first decline since the onset of the pandemic.

The IMF predicts a 15% probability of recessions in the G7 economies, which include Germany, France, the US, the UK, Japan, Canada and Italy. This is almost four times higher than usual, according to the IMF.

In a statement, a Treasury spokesperson said: 'We know that people are feeling the impact of rising prices, caused by global economic factors, triggered by the illegal Russian invasion of Ukraine.'