World Economic Outlook in Autumn 2023: The Economy is Holding Out Against Rising Interest Rates

2023-09-12T00:00:00+02:00

Global growth is expected to slow to 3.0% in 2023, down from 3.5% in 2022. This is primarily due to the tightening of monetary policy to cut inflation. In 2024, the world economy should grow at the same pace (3.0%) which will still be below its pre-COVID average, as the continuing slowdown in advanced countries is being offset by more robust growth in certain emerging ones.

In advanced economies, economic activity held up better than projected during the first half of 2023. In Europe, the supply of energy this winter has been secured and the supply-chain problems facing businesses have eased. The slowdown in growth in 2023 and 2024 is chiefly the result of monetary tightening and its effect on investment. Each country’s growth path is also contingent on its residual catch-up capabilities following the COVID-19 pandemic, especially as regards consumption, which are greater in the euro area than in the United States, and on the extent of its exposure to world trade which is putting a drag on Germany in particular.

In emerging economies, growth is set to remain vibrant overall in 2023 but could show the first signs that it is running out of steam. As an example, China should experience a more limited recovery (+5.0%) than first forecast, due to the weak upturn in consumption and little support from the authorities against the backdrop of the real estate crisis. In 2024, it is estimated that most emerging economies will benefit from a reduction in inflationary pressure and the relaxing of monetary policies.

It is projected that world trade will slow significantly in 2023 in the wake of the severe contraction in trade during winter 2022-2023, before returning to normal levels in 2024. World demand for French exports (see Chart) should fall slightly in 2023 due to lower imports in advanced countries before bouncing back in 2024, driven by faster growth in the euro area.

The main risks to this scenario are changes to inflation and the effect of monetary policy on economic activity and on the financial sector.

Public Deficit on Target in 2022 Despite the Energy Crisis

2023-07-28T00:00:00+02:00

The 2022 public deficit published by the National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies (INSEE) on 31 May 2023 stood at 4.7% of GDP. This figure is close to the 5.0% of GDP target set out in the 2022 Budget Bill, as revised on 22 October 2021, and upheld in the two 2022 Supplementary Budget Acts.

However, an imported inflation shock of more than 4 percentage points in 2022 had a strong impact on revenues and expenditure through several channels.

Spontaneous growth of taxes and social security contributions outstripped GDP growth by a wide margin. This major stylised fact was incorporated into the forecasts in the first 2022 Supplementary Budget Bill in July 2022. It stemmed primarily from the components of growth, the strength of wage growth and the large increase in taxable corporate profits in 2021, which has a lagged impact on government revenues.

The inflation shock affected expenditure in two main ways: (i) the indexation of certain expenditure; (ii) the measures implemented since the end of 2021 to protect businesses and households from inflation.

In the fourth quarter of 2021, it was impossible for the Budget Bill to foresee the scale of the energy shock or the measures that would be introduced to support households and businesses. However, the capacity for rapid revisions of forecasts to allow proportionate discretionary tax measures and resolute commitments to the deficit target made it possible to attain a deficit that was close to the original target, despite the shocks affecting revenue and expenditure (see Chart).

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World Economic Outlook in Autumn 2023: The Economy is Holding Out Against Rising Interest Rates

Public Deficit on Target in 2022 Despite the Energy Crisis