This 2017 Article IV Consultation highlights that the Micronesian economy continued its gradual recovery in fiscal year 2016 (ending September 30), after three years of contraction during 2012-14. Real GDP is estimated to have grown by 3.0 percent in 2016, driven by increased construction...

A virtual technical assistance (TA) mission supported by the IMF's Asia and Pacific Department (APD) was conducted by the IMF Statistics Department (STA) and the Pacific Financial Technical Assistance Centre (PFTAC) during October 25 - November 2, 2021. The mission assisted the Department of...

Economic growth has been volatile since the Covid-19 pandemic, and inflation reached decade-high levels mainly due to higher prices of imported food and energy. High vulnerability to climate change is also intensifying food security concerns. Despite the weak domestic economy, the fiscal and...

Real GDP declined by 4.5 percent in FY2022 due entirely to a decline in fisheries. However, excluding the sector, growth was 4.2 percent, fueled by a recovery in domestic demand. Inflation has picked up due to higher food and fuel prices, while the current account surplus narrowed as...

Timor-Leste has made impressive strides in economic development and institution building. Yet, it is a low-income and fragile country with pressing development needs. A large fraction of the population faces chronic food insecurity, and significant gaps exist in health, education, and...

Timor-Leste has made impressive progress since independence in 2002 but remains a fragile post-conflict nation with pressing development needs. With oil and gas production having recently come to a halt, progress on diversifying the economy and developing the private sector is urgently needed....

This 2023 Article IV Consultation highlights that the Samoan economy has begun recovering after a three-year recession driven by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. A rebound in economic activity has followed the lifting of domestic COVID-19restrictions in July and the pickup in...

KEY ISSUESContext: Solomon Islands has achieved considerable gains in development andmacroeconomic stability in recent years. However, the country is at an importantjuncture—with both security and development assistance being scaled down by donors,it needs to become more self-reliant. In...