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Mozambique, Timor to have best growth among Portuguese-speaking countries: IMF
Release time：2015-04-23
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The economies of most of the Portuguese-speaking Countries are expected to grow this year, says a new report from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

East Timor will post the strongest growth among Portuguese-speaking Countries in 2015, the Washington-based Fund said in its latest World Economic Outlook report released this month.

After economic expansion estimated at 6.6 percent in 2014, Timor’s gross domestic product (GDP) – based on non-oil GDP – is forecast to grow by 6.8 percent this year and by 6.9 percent in 2016. GDP gains should accelerate to 7.0 percent by 2020, said the IMF.

Mozambique is also expected to post strong growth this year and be the fastest expanding economy among Portuguese-speaking Countries in Africa. The IMF forecast the southern African country’s economy to grow 6.5 percent in 2015, followed by 8.1 percent in 2016.

São Tomé e Principe is likely to see its economy expand by 5.0 percent in 2015 and by 5.2 percent in the following year.

Angola and Guinea-Bissau should grow by 4.5 percent in 2015, in line with the average gain expected for Sub-Saharan Africa, said the report. Growth in both economies is forecast to slow down in 2016, to 3.9 percent in Angola and 4.0 percent in Guinea-Bissau.

Cape Verde’s GDP is expected to grow at rates below the Sub-Saharan Africa average, expanding by 3.0 percent in 2015 and by 4.0 percent in 2016.

In Europe, Portugal’s economic recovery is likely to accelerate this year, following a GDP expansion of 0.9 percent in 2014. The country’s GDP is expected to grow by 1.6 percent in 2015 and by 1.5 percent in 2016, the IMF said in its latest outlook.

Brazil is the single economy among Portuguese-speaking Countries expected to contract in 2015. The country’s economy is likely to shrink by 1.0 percent this year, after remaining almost flat (0.1 percent growth) last year. GDP growth should return in 2016, with the economy expected to expand by 1.0 percent, said the IMF.

China is likely to see its economy grow by 6.8 percent in 2015, down from 7.4 percent in 2014. The Chinese Government in March announced an official growth target of about 7.0 percent for this year, below last year’s objective of about 7.5 percent.