
The Iran war is "testing the resilience of the global economy," and is set to dampen economic growth this year, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) said in a report released on Thursday.
Global growth is forecast to slow to 2.9% this year before edging back up to 3.0% in 2027, according to the OECD.
The unpredictable trajectory of the Middle East conflict was driving up costs and dampening demand, offsetting the positive impetus from investment in new technologies and the momentum carried over from the previous year, it said.
The blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and damage to energy infrastructure had caused a sharp rise in energy prices and disrupted supplies of other key materials such as fertilizer, according to the OECD.
The scale and duration of the conflict were highly uncertain, but a prolonged period of higher energy prices would significantly increase costs for businesses and consumer prices, with negative consequences for growth, the OECD said.
The "evolving conflict [...] generates significant uncertainty around global demand," it said.
In the US, growth is expected to slow from 2.0% this year to 1.7% next year, the OECD forecast, as strong investment in artificial intelligence is gradually offset by a slowdown in income growth and consumer spending.
In the eurozone, the OECD expects growth to slow to 0.8% this year before recovering to 1.2% in 2027, boosted by higher defence spending.
In China, growth is projected to fall to 4.4% in 2026 and 4.3% in 2027.
The conflict was also weighing on the growth of the German economy, which the OECD said would grow by only 0.8% this year - 0.2 percentage points less than forecast in its previous economic outlook in December.
Growth of 1.5% is still expected for 2027, unchanged from the previous forecast.
LATEST POSTS
- 1
Wolf bites woman in a shopping area in Germany's 2nd-biggest city - 2
Inside the cockpit of RAF tanker during defensive mission against Iranian drones - 3
'I carried my wife's body for an hour and a half' - BBC hears stories of protesters killed in Iran - 4
Make your choice for the bird that catches your heart! - 5
Opening Innovativeness: Moving Thoughts and Tasks
The largest sun of 2026 rises today as Earth draws closest to our parent star
Obamacare enrollment declines as US subsidies expire
Scientists captured female sperm whales on video working together during a birth to protect the calf
Involved Vehicles for Seniors: Track down the Best Picks for Solace and Unwavering quality
China’s new condom tax will prove no effective barrier to country’s declining fertility rate
Artemis II updates: NASA's moon mission breaks Apollo record for farthest distance humans have traveled from Earth
Anti-war protests held across Israel under wartime gathering limits
Lula’s former human rights minister formally accused of sexual misconduct
This Tiny Bright Yellow Frog Is One of the Most Toxic Animals on Earth













