In brief
The government of Freundel Stuart is likely to narrowly win re-election in 2018, despite widespread disenchantment with its management of the economy. Growth in tourism arrivals and spending will help produce a slight acceleration in GDP growth to 1.75% on average in 2017-18 from a rate of 1.6% in 2016. The government will pass a few more minor reforms to bring down the debt and deficit, and continue with efforts to diversify the economy.
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Economic growth
| (% unless otherwise indicated) | |||
| 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| US GDP | 1.6 | 2.2 | 2.1 |
| OECD GDP | 1.7 | 1.9 | 1.7 |
| World GDP | 2.2 | 2.6 | 2.4 |
| World trade | 1.9 | 2.9 | 2.7 |
| Source: The Economist Intelligence Unit | |||
Inflation indicators
| (% unless otherwise indicated) | |||
| 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| US CPI | 1.3 | 1.7 | 1.9 |
| OECD CPI | 1.6 | 1.9 | 1.9 |
| Manufactures (measured in US$) | 6.0 | 3.7 | 4.7 |
| Oil (Brent; US$/b) | 59.0 | 61.5 | 64.0 |
| Non-oil commodities (measured in US$) | -0.5 | -1.5 | 2.1 |
| Source: The Economist Intelligence Unit | |||
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Financial variables
| (% unless otherwise indicated) | |||
| 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| US$ 3-month commercial paper rate (av; %) | 0.8 | 0.2 | 0.5 |
| Y 3-month money market rate (av; %) | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 |
| Y:US$ (av) | 100.5 | 100.2 | 99.9 |
| Rmb:US$ (av) | 7.39 | 7.18 | 7.03 |
| Source: The Economist Intelligence Unit | |||