The WB optimism extends to the following years: 2.7% of GDP – in 2006, 3.8% of GDP – in 2027. The June forecast of the WB for Moldova became a failure – GDP growth in 2025 was reduced from 3.9% immediately to 0.9%, and in 2026 – from 4.5% to 2.4%. The country still remains below the average forecasted indicator for the Europe and Central Asia region, whose growth in 2025 is estimated at 2.4%.
“Economic activity is forecast to slow in emerging market and developing economies, limiting their ability to accelerate job creation and reduce extreme poverty. This challenging situation is exacerbated by weak foreign direct investment inflows,” the report said of the reasons for the slowdown amid severe pressures across the global economy.
As Antonella Bassani, World Bank vice president for the Europe and Central Asia region, noted, “Developing countries need to strengthen the private sector, improve education, and build stronger international linkages, along with attracting more private capital. The challenge for the region is to expand the employment market and transform low-wage jobs into quality employment opportunities.”
That said, growth could be even slower if trade restrictions are further tightened or economic policy uncertainty persists. Other downside risks include weaker-than-expected growth in major economies, worsening conflicts and extreme weather events, the bank’s economists said.
By comparison, Romania, according to the WB forecasts, will add 0.4% of GDP, Ukraine – 2%, Belarus – 1.9%, Russia – 0.9%. Central Asian countries (Kazakhstan 5.5%, Kyrgyzstan 9.2%, Tajikistan 7.6%, Uzbekistan 6.6%) and the South Caucasus (3.7%; Armenia 5.2%, Georgia 7.0%, Azerbaijan 1.9%) look more prosperous.
