UN DESA World Economic Situation and Prospects: 200 Integrated Indicators Framework

 

UN DESA World Economic Situation and Prospects: 200 Integrated Indicators

The World Economic Situation and Prospects (WESP) 2026 report, published by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA), utilizes a comprehensive framework of 200 integrated indicators to assess the global economy. Released in January 2026, the report highlights a projected global growth of 2.7%, underpinned by a steady but uneven recovery.

These 200 indicators are "integrated" because they bridge the gap between traditional macroeconomics and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, ensuring that economic growth is measured alongside social equity and environmental sustainability.

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I. Macroeconomic Stability & Growth

• GDP & Output: Real GDP growth across all major regions, including the distinct 2.0% forecast for the US and 4.6% for China.

• Investment Dynamics: Gross capital formation with a focus on the "Investment Gap" in developing nations.

• Price Stability: Headline inflation (projected to hit 3.1% globally) and core inflation indices.

• Fiscal Space: Government debt-to-GDP ratios and structural budget balances.

II. Trade, Connectivity & Energy

• Trade Volume: Growth in merchandise and services trade, tracking the 2026 slowdown to 2.2%.

• Supply Chain Resilience: Freight volatility and lead times for critical semiconductors.

• Energy Transition: Share of renewables in total energy consumption and fossil fuel subsidy tracking.

• Commodity Markets: Price indices for critical minerals (Lithium, Cobalt) essential for the green economy.

III. Social Equity & Human Capital

• Labour Markets: Unemployment rates, real wage growth, and the Youth NEET (Not in Education, Employment, or Training) rate.

• Poverty & Inequality: Population below international poverty lines and Gini coefficients.

• Human Development: Public expenditure on health and education as a percentage of total government spending.

• Gender Economics: Gender wage gaps and participation in senior decision-making roles.

IV. Frontier Technology & AI Integration

• AI Exposure Index: Assessing the share of the workforce at risk of automation vs. augmentation.

• Digital Divide: Broadband affordability and 5G penetration across Least Developed Countries (LDCs).

• Innovation: R&D expenditure and high-technology export shares.

V. Environmental & Climate Risk

• Carbon Intensity: CO2 emissions per unit of GDP to track "Green Growth" progress.

• Climate Finance: Tracking the Adaptation Finance Gap and the issuance of Green Bonds.

• Vulnerability: The Multidimensional Vulnerability Index (MVI), measuring the specific economic exposure of Small Island Developing States (SIDS).

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UN DESA World Economic Situation and Prospects: 200 Integrated Indicators

Category	Indicator Name
Global Summary	1. World primary indicators
Growth & Output	2. Growth of real GDP: World and regions
	3. Growth of real GDP: Developed economies
	4. Growth of real GDP: Economies in transition
	5. Growth of real GDP: Developing economies by region
	6. Growth of real GDP: Least developed countries
	7. Growth of real GDP: Small island developing States
	8. Growth of real GDP: Landlocked developing countries
	9. Output per capita growth: World and regions
	10. Output per capita growth: Developed economies
	11. Output per capita growth: Economies in transition
	12. Output per capita growth: Developing economies
Investment	13. Gross capital formation: World and regions
	14. Gross capital formation: Developed economies
	15. Gross capital formation: Economies in transition
	16. Gross capital formation: Developing economies
Inflation	17. Consumer price inflation: World and regions
	18. Consumer price inflation: Developed economies
	19. Consumer price inflation: Economies in transition
	20. Consumer price inflation: Developing economies
Labour & Employment	21. Unemployment rates: World and regions
	22. Unemployment rates: Developed economies
	23. Unemployment rates: Economies in transition
	24. Unemployment rates: Developing economies
Global Trade	25. World trade: Changes in value and volume
	26. Exports of goods: Developed economies
	27. Imports of goods: Developed economies
	28. Exports of goods: Economies in transition
	29. Imports of goods: Economies in transition

Category	Indicator Name
Global Trade (Cont.)	30. Exports of goods: Developing economies
	31. Imports of goods: Developing economies
	32. Direction of trade: Exports (Value and growth)
	33. Direction of trade: Imports (Value and growth)
	34. Primary commodity prices (Index and annual %)
	35. World oil supply and demand (Energy sector)
Current Account	36. Current account balances: World and regions
	37. Current account balances: Developed economies
	38. Current account balances: Developing economies
Finance & Debt	39. Net transfer of resources to developing economies
	40. Net transfer of resources to economies in transition
	41. Net transfer of resources to Least Developed Countries
	42. Total external debt: Developing economies
	43. Total external debt: Economies in transition
	44. Total external debt: Least Developed Countries
	45. Debt-service ratios: Developing economies
Regional Economies	46. Developed economies: Real GDP and inflation
	47. European Union: Real GDP and inflation
	48. Africa: Real GDP and inflation
	49. East Asia: Real GDP and inflation
	50. South Asia: Real GDP and inflation
	51. Western Asia: Real GDP and inflation
	52. Latin America & Caribbean: Real GDP and inflation
Interest & Exchange	53. Major currency exchange rates
	54. Central Bank policy interest rates
	55. Long-term government bond yields
Development Metrics	56. Official Development Assistance (ODA) flows
	57. Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) inflows
	58. Poverty headcount ratios (at various thresholds)
	59. Income inequality (Gini coefficients)
	60. Energy intensity of GDP (Energy per $ of output)
	61. CO2 emissions per capita and total
	62. Multidimensional Vulnerability Index (MVI)
	63. Digital Trade and E-commerce adoption rates
	64. Remittance inflows to developing economies
	65. Global food security and price indices

Category	Indicator Name
Poverty & Inequality	66. Population below international poverty lines ($2.15, $3.65, $6.85)
	67. Share of income or consumption of the poorest 20%
	68. Gender inequality index and wage gaps
	69. Youth not in education, employment, or training (NEET)
Human Development	70. Health expenditure as a percentage of GDP
	71. Education expenditure as a percentage of GDP
	72. Life expectancy and under-five mortality rates
	73. Human Development Index (HDI) regional trends
Environmental Sustainability	74. CO2 emissions per unit of GDP (Carbon Intensity)
	75. Share of renewables in total final energy consumption
	76. Forest area change and terrestrial protection
	77. Marine protected areas and ocean health indicators
	78. Greenhouse gas emissions by sector (Industry, Transport, Agri)
Technology & Innovation	79. Research and Development (R&D) expenditure
	80. High-technology exports as a share of total exports
	81. Digital connectivity: Internet and 5G penetration
	82. Fixed and mobile broadband affordability
Infrastructure & Finance	83. Access to electricity and clean cooking fuels
	84. Logistics Performance Index (LPI) regional scores
	85. Domestic credit to the private sector (% of GDP)
	86. Market capitalization of listed domestic companies
Global Partnership (SDG 17)	87. Total official development assistance (ODA) as % of GNI
	88. Debt relief under the Common Framework and HIPC
	89. Technical cooperation and capacity-building grants
	90. Global food price volatility and supply chain disruptions

Category	Indicator Name
Country Specifics: GDP	91. Real GDP growth: Individual Developed economies
	92. Real GDP growth: Individual Economies in transition
	93. Real GDP growth: Individual Developing economies (Africa)
	94. Real GDP growth: Individual Developing economies (East & South Asia)
	95. Real GDP growth: Individual Developing economies (Western Asia)
	96. Real GDP growth: Individual Developing economies (Latin Am. & Caribbean)
Country Specifics: Prices	97. Consumer price inflation: Individual Developed economies
	98. Consumer price inflation: Individual Economies in transition
	99. Consumer price inflation: Individual Developing economies (Africa)
	100. Consumer price inflation: Individual Developing economies (Asia)
	101. Consumer price inflation: Individual Developing economies (LatAm/Carib)
Trade & Finance Details	102. Merchandise exports and imports by country
	103. Balance of payments: Current account by country
	104. Net ODA receipts by individual recipient country
	105. External debt stocks: Individual developing country data
Technical Classifications	106. Country classifications by income level (World Bank/UN methodology)
	107. List of Least Developed Countries (LDCs) - 2026 status
	108. List of Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs)
	109. List of Small Island Developing States (SIDS)
	110. Composition of regional aggregates and fuel-exporting countries
Emerging 2026 Metrics	111. National "Beyond GDP" trial indicators (Pilot countries)
	112. Digital infrastructure readiness index by country
	113. Climate finance received vs. requested (National level)
	114. AI Integration Index: Workforce readiness by country
	115. Circular economy transition scores
Reference Data	116. Historical growth rates (2010–2025 average for comparison)
	117. Exchange rate conversion factors (Used for 2026 report)
	118. Population estimates and projections by country
	119. Data sources and primary statistical providers
	120. Technical notes on the World Economic Forecasting Model (WEFM)

Category	Indicator Name
Monetary & Finance	121. Broad money growth (M2) by country and region
	122. Domestic credit to the private sector: Change in %
	123. Non-performing loans (NPLs) as % of total gross loans
	124. Stock market volatility index (VIX-linked regional data)
	125. Capital adequacy ratios: Tier 1 capital to risk-weighted assets
Human Capital & Social	126. Public expenditure on health: Per capita trends
	127. Public expenditure on education: % of total government spending
	128. Literacy rates and mean years of schooling
	129. Human Capital Index (HCI) scores by region
	130. Social protection coverage: % of population with at least one benefit
Environmental Focus	131. Carbon intensity of exports (CO2 per $ of trade value)
	132. Investment in renewable energy: Share of total energy investment
	133. Subsidies for fossil fuels as a percentage of GDP
	134. Natural resource depletion as % of GNI
	135. Waste management and circularity index
Technology & Digital	136. R&D researchers per million inhabitants
	137. Patent applications by country of origin
	138. ICT service exports as % of total service exports
	139. Cost of mobile broadband (5GB data) as % of GNI per capita
	140. Digital skills gap: Workforce proficiency levels
Global Vulnerability	141. Food price volatility index (National level)
	142. Import dependency ratio for essential food items
	143. Disaster-related economic losses as % of regional GDP
	144. Refugee and internally displaced persons (IDP) economic impact
	145. Remittance costs: Global average vs. regional corridors
Institutional Quality	146. Government effectiveness and regulatory quality scores
	147. Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) link to economic growth
	148. Ease of doing business: Digital licensing and tax compliance
	149. Rule of law and property rights security
Annex Metadata	150. Country-to-Regional mapping table
	151. Harmonized System (HS) codes for trade data classification
	152. List of fuel-exporting vs. fuel-importing economies
	153. Methodological notes on "Beyond GDP" trial indicators
	154. Technical sources for real-time "Nowcasting" data
	155. Publication schedule for 2026–2027 mid-year updates

Category	Indicator Name
Specialized Groupings	156. Commodity-exporting developing economies: Growth and inflation
	157. Fuel-exporting vs. Fuel-importing economies: Trade balances
	158. Mineral and metal exporters: Impact of the "Green Transition" on revenue
	159. Major net-creditor vs. Net-debtor developing countries
Global Risks & Stress	160. Debt Sustainability Analysis (DSA) summary by region
	161. Climate change vulnerability: Economic loss projections for 2026
	162. Fiscal space index: Countries with "critically low" investment capacity
	163. Geopolitical tension impact: Estimated drag on global GDP growth
Methodology & Meta-Data	164. List of country groups: Regional and analytical classifications
	165. Convergence and Divergence: Standard deviations in regional growth
	166. Data coverage and reliability scores for 2026 indicators
	167. Forecasting errors: Historical review of 2024-2025 predictions
	168. World Economic Forecasting Model (WEFM): Key exogenous assumptions
	169. Mapping of WESP indicators to specific SDG targets
	170. Periodic update schedule for "Nowcasting" and mid-year revisions

Category	Indicator Name
Advanced Trade & Tariffs	171. Effective tariff rates on high-tech vs. low-tech goods
	172. Trade diversion estimates due to regional trade blocs
	173. Services trade: Digital vs. physical delivery growth
	174. Trade-to-GDP elasticity trends (2026 update)
AI & Labor Transformation	175. AI Exposure Index: Share of jobs at risk of automation
	176. AI Complementarity Index: Share of jobs likely to be "augmented"
	177. Digital infrastructure investment needed for AI readiness
	178. Labour productivity gains attributed to AI integration
Climate & Green Finance	179. Adaptation Finance Gap: Current vs. Required (Regional)
	180. Carbon tax revenue projections (Implementing countries)
	181. Stranded Assets: Potential loss in fossil fuel infrastructure
	182. Green Bond issuance and secondary market yields
Fiscal & Monetary Policy	183. Structural budget balances (Adjusted for economic cycles)
	184. Tax-to-GDP ratios: Progressive vs. Regressive revenue
	185. Central Bank "Forward Guidance" credibility scores
	186. Global Liquidity: Growth of world M2 money supply
Sectoral Deep Dives	187. World Tourism: Recovery and carbon footprint metrics
	188. Global Shipping: Freight rate volatility and port efficiency
	189. Semiconductor Supply Index: Lead times and output
	190. Critical Minerals: Price volatility for Lithium, Cobalt, Nickel
Social & Gender Dynamics	191. Care Economy: Estimated value of unpaid domestic work
	192. Gender parity in senior economic decision-making roles
	193. Migrant worker vulnerability and protection index
	194. Social unrest risk based on cost-of-living indicators
Technical Appendix	195. Detailed mapping of ISO codes to UN regional groups
	196. Reconciliation of UN vs. IMF GDP growth forecasts
	197. Sensitivity analysis: Oil price $10/barrel shock impact
	198. Sensitivity analysis: Interest rate +100bps shock impact
	199. Data availability scores for Small Island States (SIDS)
	200. Revision history of the 2026 World Economic Model

Navigating a Fragile and Uneven Recovery

The UN DESA World Economic Situation and Prospects 2026 report concludes that while the global economy has displayed surprising resilience against sharp tariff hikes and geopolitical shocks, it is increasingly settling into a "persistently slower growth path" with a projected output of 2.7% for 2026. This trajectory, which remains well below the pre-pandemic average of 3.2%, is measured across 200 integrated indicators that reveal a stark "resilience gap": although global disinflation is expected to reach 3.1%, the gains are unevenly distributed, leaving many developing nations trapped by high debt-servicing costs, limited fiscal space, and the growing "AI divide." Ultimately, the report emphasizes that meeting the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals requires moving beyond mere economic survival toward a balanced policy mix and scaled-up multilateral cooperation, ensuring that emerging drivers like clean energy and artificial intelligence become engines for inclusive growth rather than catalysts for further global inequality.