This paper presents an overview of the economy of Hungary. The paper highlights that during the Fifth Five-Year Plan (1976–80), actual growth rates for almost all major plan aggregates remained below the targets. The lower targets set for the increase in both consumption and investment in...

In recent years, the IMF has released a growing number of reports and other documents covering economic and financial developments and trends in member countries. Each report, prepared by a staff team after discussions with government officials, is published at the option of the member country.

Although not escaping the global slowdown, the Spanish economy has weathered it relatively well. The discussions focused on minimizing short-term risks and on identifying the structural reform priorities for the next government. However, household indebtedness has continued to rise rapidly,...

In recent years, the IMF has released a growing number of reports and other documents covering economic and financial developments and trends in member countries. Each report, prepared by a staff team after discussions with government officials, is published at the option of the member country.

This Selected Issues paper on Chile assesses the long-term outlook of Chile’s private pension system. The paper provides an overview of Chile’s recent experience with public–private partnerships (PPPs), focusing on the design of its institutional framework. The paper...

This paper reviews economic developments in the Republic of Mozambique during 1990–96. Under the Economic and Social Rehabilitation Program (ESRP), the economy has made impressive economic gains. Real GDP growth averaged 6.7 percent in 1987–95, despite the civil war, a decline in...

This paper assesses Romania’s Third Review Under the Stand-By Arrangement and a Request for Waiver of Performance Criterion. Romania’s macroeconomic performance continued to be favorable, but slippages in wage policy and privatization delayed the completion of the third review....

In this paper, the following statistical data are presented in detail: gross domestic product, savings and investment, production of major marketed crops, marketed livestock, industrial production by sector, prices of petroleum products, transport and communication activity, import prices of oil...

This Selected Issues paper analyzes quality upgrading and low-wage competition for Singapore. The analysis concludes that quality upgrading is indeed taking place in some products where low-wage competitors are entering. More generally, Singapore’s exports are of a higher quality than its...