ZAGREB, 14 Jan (Hina) - Croatia's economy is expected to grow by 2.9% this year, putting it on a par with Bulgaria, according to the World Bank's Global Economic Prospects released on Tuesday, which point to a slight slowdown compared with growth of 3.1% in 2025.
The World Bank forecasts that economic growth in Croatia will ease slightly again in 2027, to 2.7%, revising down its previous projections of 3.0% for 2026 and 2.8% for 2027.
Bulgaria is expected to record the same growth rate as Croatia this year, while Poland is forecast to grow by 3.2%. For Central European countries including Hungary, Romania and Poland, and when Croatia and Bulgaria are added, the World Bank expects growth of around 2.7% this year and next.
The World Bank notes that Croatia and Bulgaria have meanwhile been reclassified among developed economies.
Risks to growth include global trade tensions and regulatory uncertainty, particularly for open economies in Central Europe and the Western Balkans, as these could dampen trade and investment.
Among emerging and developing economies in Europe and Central Asia, growth close to Croatia's is forecast for Serbia, North Macedonia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, at around 3%. Kyrgyzstan is expected to post the strongest growth, at 6.5%, followed by Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, while Russia is forecast to grow by just 0.8%.
Emerging and developing economies in Europe and Central Asia are expected to grow by 2.4% this year and 2.7% in 2027. At the global level, growth for this group is projected at around 1.6%, supported by easing trade tensions, stabilising commodity prices and improved financing conditions.
The World Bank forecasts global economic growth of 2.6% in 2026 and 2.7% in 2027, noting that the world economy has proved more resilient than expected despite persistent trade tensions and regulatory uncertainty.
However, it warns that even if the more optimistic forecasts materialise, the period from 2020 to 2030 is likely to mark the weakest decade of global growth since the 1960s, further widening disparities in living standards worldwide.
