Photo: AP
In the IMF's "World Economic Review" report, Serbia is in 26th place out of 41 European countries in terms of GDP projections for 2026. Serbia's growth will slow down the most this year, it was announced in the regular autumn report.
International Monetary Fund (IMF) once again reduced its forecast for the economic growth of Serbia for 2025, to 2,4 percent, compared to 3,5 percent, which they projected in April this year.
Also, in the IMF's "World Economic Review" report, Serbia ranks 26th in Europe in terms of projected GDP for the coming year.
Europe's Top Economies in 2026 by Projected GDP
1. 🇩🇪 Germany: $5.3T
2. 🇬🇧 UK: $4.2T
3. 🇫🇷 France: $3.6T
4. 🇮🇹 Italy: $2.7T
5. 🇷🇺 Russia: $2.5T
6. 🇪🇸 Spain: $2.0T
7. 🇳🇱 Netherlands: $1.4T
8. 🇵🇱 Poland: $1.1T
9. 🇨🇭 Switzerland: $1.1T
10. 🇧🇪 Belgium: $761B
11. 🇮🇪 Ireland: $750B…— World of Statistics (@stats_feed) November 6, 2025
For weaker economic activity, the President of Serbia Aleksandar Vučić he repeatedly blamed "blockades and inaction", alluding to the anti-government protests that have been going on since November 2024, and were started due to the fall of the canopy of the Railway Station in Novi Sad.
Despite this claim, in June the president of the country said that he expects the gross domestic product to grow by more than three percent, but the World Bank still expects it to be 2,8 percent in 2025.
This is 1,1 percentage points less than in 2024, and the World Bank reduced expectations by 0,7 percentage points, or by a fifth, compared to the projections from April this year.
It should also be added that foreign direct investments have more than halved compared to the same period last year, which "Vreme" already wrote about.
This year, there was less corn, sugar beet, soybeans, raspberries, cherries, plums and apples, while there was more wheat, sunflower and grapes than in 2024, according to preliminary data from the Republic Statistical Office (RZS).
This is the second time that the projections of the World Bank for the current year have been lowered, because it was initially expected that the growth in Serbia will amount to four percent, writes Aleksandar Zdravković, senior researcher of the Institute of Economic Sciences (IEN).
Despite the problems, even with the predicted rate of 2,8 percent, Serbia would grow faster than the average in the European Union. This would achieve a "certain degree" of approaching those countries in terms of living standards, although the performance of the Serbian economy this time was affected by internal uncertainty, as well as the deterioration of the business climate in the world, writes BBS in Serbian.
The Serbian economy is the largest in the Western Balkans and its weaker result in 2025 is the main reason for the lower projections for the entire region, which will have a growth of 2,8 percent this year, and in 2024 it was 3,5 percent, the World Bank announced.
Only North Macedonia and Montenegro are waiting for a "modest acceleration", according to the World Bank. For those two countries, the growth projections were increased compared to April, as well as for Albania, they were unchanged for Kosovo, and they were decreased for Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The World Bank also warned of the increasingly difficult situation with the workforce in the six countries of the Western Balkans, and they forecast that they will have 190.000 fewer workers in the next five years.
Due to the transition to renewable energy sources and the increasingly widespread use of artificial intelligence in the economy, about 20 percent of workers in the region may have to be retrained to perform other jobs and occupations.
Statistical economic data refutes the claim of an easier and more profitable life for the citizens of Serbia. Last year, besides hairdressers, what went up in price the most, and what really went down in price?
When it shifts from a reporting to a fiscal regime at the start of the New Year, CBAM will, in addition to electricity, for now cover several other industrial products, including the ones that are very important for Serbia. The Serbian government has prepared a package of measures, but it remains to be seen what their advantages and drawbacks are in responding to CBAM.
The Italian "Ariston" opened a plant in Niš and received 22,2 million euros in subsidies for it. More than 3.000 workers recently lost their jobs in that city, while "Ariston" will employ people. Economist Goran Radosavljević explains for "Vreme" - investors will not come to Serbia at all if you don't give them a lot of money
Employers intend to compensate for the difference in costs due to the increase in the minimum wage by increasing the prices of products and services, and those who are not helped by this will resort to layoffs. For many small and medium-sized enterprises, it is simply too big a burden
In the last few months, several foreign companies in the south of Serbia have closed their plants. The President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, explains this by "significant increase in wages".
None of us have the right to give up our freedom. It is unacceptable to lose heart. Leaving the last line of defense is unacceptable. Because the barbarian attack on prosecutors and judges is their last attack. Beyond that is the abyss
You should not touch Ćaciland before the holidays. Since there will be no New Year celebrations on the streets in Belgrade, it should be left as an attraction for foreign tourists
By taking "upon himself" responsibility for the General Staff affair and promising amnesty to Selaković and other potential suspects, Vučić wants to ensure that his collaborators do not become witnesses-collaborators. That is why he is ready to destroy the judicial branch of government
Interview: Branko Stamenković, President of the High Prosecution Council
Threats to prosecutors lead to prison subscribeThe archive of the weekly Vreme includes all our digital editions, since the very beginning of our work. All issues can be downloaded in PDF format, by purchasing the digital edition, or you can read all available texts from the selected issue.
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