IMF-World Bank meetings in Bangkok: resilience near its limits as debt and AI dominate

The 2026 IMF-World Bank annual meetings, running October 12-18 in Bangkok, hit mid-week on October 15 with ministers, central bankers and investors digesting a cautiously upbeat World Economic Outlook. The IMF projected global growth of 3.1% in 2026 and 3.4% in 2027, slightly stronger than feared, saying the world economy had so far shown unexpected resilience to a protracted conflict and higher energy prices. But chief economist and senior officials warned that the picture is increasingly uneven: countries riding the AI-driven investment boom or favourable terms of trade are doing relatively well, while many energy-importing and low-income economies face a far tougher environment. Headline inflation is now expected to average 4.7% this year, lifted by energy and food prices, and the Fund flagged that near-record sovereign debt levels leave governments with little room to respond to new shocks. Side events in Bangkok focused on AI's impact on jobs and productivity, climate finance for emerging markets and reform of multilateral lenders.