1989 was another highly satisfactory year for the industrialised countries, with real gross national product growing by an average of around 31/2%. Performance differed from one country to another, however, with the USA beginning to lag behind. Is this the harbinger of a general slowdown in growth?

The global economy continues to show an upward trend - albeit at a slower pace - for the eighth year running, although performance differs considerably from country to country. What is the outlook for 1990 as a whole?