Media Advisory
United Nations to launch 2026 mid-year update on the global economy
Press briefing live on UN WebTV
The report is under embargo until 19 May 2026, 12:45 pm EDT
The crisis in the Middle East has delivered another major shock to the world economy, heightening uncertainty, stoking inflationary pressures and testing the resilience of global growth.
Countries face varying degrees of exposure to the shock and also differ in their capacities to cope, leading to uneven impacts. For many developing economies, intensifying cost-of-living pressures, limited policy space, and slowing growth prospects risk further setbacks in advancing the Sustainable Development Goals, while entrenching inequalities across and within countries.
Published by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA), the World Economic Situation and Prospects as of mid-2026 updates the global and regional economic outlook for the year ahead.
WHAT
Press briefing to launch the World Economic Situation and Prospects as of mid-2026
WHO
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Shantanu Mukherjee, Director, Economic Analysis and Policy Division, UN DESA
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Ingo Pitterle, Senior Economist and Officer-in-Charge, Global Economic Monitoring Branch, Economic Analysis and Policy Division, UN DESA
WHEN
Tuesday, 19 May 2026, 12:45 pm EDT
WHERE
UN Press Briefing Room, S-237 (Live on http://webtv.un.org)
The report will be available on 19 May 2026, 12:45 pm EDT at desapublications.un.org once the embargo has been lifted.
MEDIA CONTACTS
Sharon Birch, UN Department of Global Communications, birchs@un.org
Helen Rosengren, UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, rosengrenh@un.org
EXPERT INTERVIEW OPPORTUNITIES
Global Outlook
Mr. Shantanu Mukherjee, Director, Economic Analysis and Policy Division (English)
Mr. Ingo Pitterle, Officer-in-Charge, Global Economic Monitoring Branch (English, German)
Mr. Grigor Agabekian, Economic Affairs Officer (Russian)
Mr. Sebastian Vergara, Economic Affairs Officer (Spanish)
Regional Outlooks
Interviews are available upon request
