IMF Raises 2026 Growth Forecast to 3.1%, Warns of a World Economy Split in Two

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) slightly raised its global growth forecast for 2026 to 3.1 percent. But the fund also warned that the world economy is splitting apart. Two forces are pulling countries in different directions. The first is conflict in the Middle East, which is hurting some regions. The second is the artificial intelligence (AI) boom, which is boosting others. This gap means some economies are growing quickly while others fall behind. The IMF's small upgrade to 3.1 percent hides this growing divide.