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IMF Upgrades 2025 Growth Forecast for MENA and Pakistan to 3.2%

The IMF projected 3.2% growth for MENA and Pakistan together in 2025. A separate country report gives Pakistan fiscal-year estimates and a 2025/26 projection.
From TheFinanceBase Team2 min to read
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The IMF’s October 2025 regional briefing projected 3.2% growth in 2025 for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and Pakistan together, up from 2.1% in 2024 and above its April forecast. That figure is a combined regional projection, not a Pakistan-only forecast. A separate IMF country report puts Pakistan’s growth at 3.0% for FY2024/25 and projects 3.2% for FY2025/26.

What the IMF upgraded—and what 3.2% refers to

In its October 2025 regional economic outlook briefing, the IMF raised its 2025 growth projection for MENA and Pakistan to 3.2%, compared with 2.1% growth in 2024. The IMF said the projection was higher than its April 2025 forecast, but the briefing passage does not give the April forecast’s numeric value. The October briefing transcript repeats the upgrade comparison.

The scope matters: the 3.2% figure is stated for MENA and Pakistan together. It should not be reported as the IMF’s Pakistan-only calendar-year forecast. Nor does it mean growth was already measured at 3.2%; it was a dated projection.

How this differs from Pakistan’s fiscal-year forecast

A separate IMF Pakistan country report, published November 20, 2025, estimates real GDP growth of 3.0% for FY2024/25 and projects 3.2% for FY2025/26. Pakistan’s fiscal year runs from July 1 through June 30. These country-specific fiscal-year figures differ in scope and period from the October regional briefing’s calendar-year projection, so they are not directly interchangeable or contradictory. The IMF country report provides the fiscal-year estimates and definition.

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IMF figure Geography and period Status and source
3.2% growth MENA and Pakistan together, calendar year 2025 Projection in the October 2025 regional briefing; higher than the April forecast, whose numeric value is not stated in the cited passage. IMF transcript
2.1% growth MENA and Pakistan together, calendar year 2024 Comparison stated in the October 2025 regional briefing. IMF transcript
3.0% growth Pakistan, FY2024/25 Estimate in the November 2025 country report. IMF country report
3.2% growth Pakistan, FY2025/26 Projection in the November 2025 country report. IMF country report

What the IMF cited as supporting activity

Jihad Azour, director of the IMF’s Middle East and Central Asia Department, cited low energy prices, strong remittances and a vibrant tourism sector as factors supporting domestic demand in MENA and Pakistan. These are factors highlighted by the official, not a complete explanation of Pakistan’s economic performance. The briefing transcript records the discussion.

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Why the global 3.2% figure is different

The October 2025 World Economic Outlook projected global growth of 3.2% in 2025 and 3.1% in 2026. The 2025 global figure happens to match the regional MENA-and-Pakistan figure, but it refers to the world economy, not Pakistan. The IMF describes the WEO as a staff assessment of near- and medium-term economic prospects and policies, generally published twice a year with updates between editions; its projections are dated forecasts, not final observed outcomes. October 2025 World Economic Outlook and the WEO catalogue provide that context.

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