Mounting funding pressures has tipped Portugal into an acute economic crisis in 2011. The roots of the crisis could be traced to Portugal’s failure to adapt to the rigors of monetary union. With economic institutions, policies, and incentives ill-adapted to the opportunities, Portugal’s...

The global financial crisis hit Denmark hard, and the recovery has been slow and unsteady. Denmark’s slow growth predates the recent economic crisis, and the economy has underperformed its regional peers. The current account remains in surplus, largely reflecting weak domestic demand since the...

KEY ISSUES Steadfast policy implementation has been maintained through the final review of the program. Budget execution has once more been solid in 2013, with the fiscal deficit expected to remain within the Excessive Deficit Procedure ceiling. Budget 2014 targets a balanced adjustment path,...

KEY ISSUES Context. Growth has slowed amidst weak investment and external demand, while the output gap appears to be at or near zero and inflation is elevated. Activity is currently weak, but is expected to accelerate somewhat later this year. However, structural factors constrain medium-term...

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

The Article IV Consultation discusses the IMF Executive Board’s assessment of economic developments and policies in Switzerland. With the exchange rate floor in place for more than one year, the Swiss economy has been relatively stable. Although overall export growth is weak, the external...

Albania's economy has shown considerable resilience in the face of the 2019 earthquake and the pandemic. After the hardship endured in 2020, real GDP is rebounding strongly by a projected 7.8 percent in 2021. Policies have played a critical role in preserving lives and livelihoods and thereby...

Greece entered the pandemic with an unfinished recovery, but the country has demonstrated resilience in facing COVID-19. The economy contracted by 8.2 percent in 2020, better than expected given Greece's high dependence on tourism and pre-existing vulnerabilities. The government provided among...

This 2015 Article IV Consultation highlights that Aruba has been recovering from a severe double-dip recession. The economy faced two major shocks over the past five years-the global financial crisis and shutdown of the Valero oil refinery in 2012. After a strong recovery in 2013 with growth...

This 2015 Article IV Consultation highlights that Bulgaria achieved modest economic growth in 2014, which is expected to continue in 2015, albeit at a lower rate. Consumer prices declined by an average 1.6 percent in 2014, among the sharpest contractions in the European Union, but are projected...