Bangladesh's GDP is expected to grow by 7.9% this year, making it the second best performing economy in 2019, according to forecast data by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU).
Earlier in a country report on Bangladesh, published on December 4, the EIU stated that Bangladesh's growth from the fiscal year 2018-19 to 2022-23 will be driven mainly by strong increases in private consumption and gross fixed investment.
The report further predicted that Bangladesh will experience a real GDP growth of 7.7% per year during the period, bolstered by increases in private consumption and investment.
The EIU forecasts that gross fixed investment and private consumption will grow by an average of 9.9% and 10.6% per year, respectively, in FY 2018-19 and FY 2022-23, up from the respective averages of 9.3% and 6.3% in the preceding five-year period.
Apart from Bangladesh, neighbouring India will again be the fastest-growing big economy, maintaining its estimated 2018 rate of 7.4%, reports the economist.
A continuation of the Sino-US trade war would suit some places: Vietnam, which offers an alternative to China as a manufacturing location, is forecast to expand by 6.7%. But the economy that is expected to perform best in 2019—Syria, with forecast growth of 9.9%—is a sobering reminder that a high number can reflect the worst of starting-points.
After Bangladesh, Bhutan is expected to grow by 7.4%, while Rwanda is expected to grow by 7.3%.
Source: Economist Intelligence Unit
The greater global picture, however, looks grim as the poor performance of stock markets last year maintained at the start of 2019.
This, according to The Economist, can be traced in part to growing worries about the state of the world economy, specifically the US and China.
According to the EIU, the US will grow by 2.3% in 2019—substantially lower than the estimated growth rate of 2.9% for the previous year—as the Federal Reserve tightens monetary policy and the effects of last year’s tax cuts fade away.
China’s forecasted growth rate is much higher at 6.3%, but that is still lower than its estimated performance in 2018. Many fear it to be worse as a result of the trade war with America, and China’s campaign to control its debt.
Europe presents an even worse picture. Britain, which is due to leave the European Union in March, is forecasted to grow by only 1.5%. Although, France faces less uncertainty, it fares no better.
Italy, being a continuous economic disappointment, is expected grow by just 0.4%, making it the seventh-worst performer in the EIU’s forecasts. Countries below it are all forecast to contract in 2019.
Venezuela, which has been in freefall for years, is expected to perform the worst as its GDP is expected to fall by 5.7%, followed by war-torn Yemen at 4.2%, Iran at 3.7%, Equitorial Guinea at 2.5%, and Argentina at 0.8%.
https://www.dhakatribune.com/busine...K1cCDolJxeVpAxE8VH_oleR_bUE_lTgJT7w5dvta49IPY