Islamabad: The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has released its projections for Pakistan’s economy, anticipating a GDP growth rate of 3.2% for the fiscal year 2025. This marks an improvement from the 2.4% growth recorded in FY24, as detailed in the IMF’s “World Economic Outlook (WEO): Policy Pivot, Rising Threats” report.

According to Zameen.Com, the IMF’s forecast contrasts with slightly more conservative figures from other financial institutions. The World Bank predicts Pakistan’s GDP growth at 2.8% for FY25, the lowest in the region, while the Asian Development Bank (ADB) agrees with this 2.8% growth rate. Additionally, the IMF anticipates a decline in inflation to 9.5% in FY25 from an alarming 23.4% in FY24, with consumer prices expected to hit 10.6% by year-end, improving from 12.6% in FY24. The report also projects a widening current account deficit of 0.9% of GDP, up from 0.2% in the previous year. On the employment front, the IMF foresees a drop in unemployment, forecasting a rate of 7.5% compared to 8% in FY24.

This outlook from the IMF provides a cautiously optimistic view of Pakistan’s economic trajectory, reflecting expected improvements in key economic indicators despite ongoing challenges.