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Macro Monthly: Resilient but uneven global growth

8 October 2026

Key takeaways

  • Disruption around the Strait of Hormuz continues to impact energy prices and the inflation outlook…
  • …but the AI cycle is playing a key role in keeping pockets of the global economy growing quickly…
  • …resulting in a ‘K-shaped’ economy that’s hard to interpret for policymakers

The global economy continues to perform better than expected, despite persistent risks. Ongoing conflicts, elevated debt levels, and the accelerating impact of AI are pulling the data in different directions and driving divergent economic outcomes across regions and sectors.

Prices remain contained

Core prices are yet to rise meaningfully

While flows of crude oil from the Middle East may be picking up, this is at a higher cost (Charts 1 and 2), and refined fuel prices and gas prices are a pressing inflationary concern. But there is still limited evidence of this spreading into core prices. Indeed, core inflation remains under control in the US and Europe, with rental costs accounting for a key part of the remaining stickiness in the US.

While the persistence of higher energy costs and the growing impact of El Niño on food prices poses upside inflation risks – weaker labour markets (partly due to the threats from AI), slower wage growth, and productivity improvements continue to keep broader inflation in check. Where costs are rising, firms are seemingly finding it hard to pass these on.

Note: Based on departures. Source: Bloomberg
Note: Latest data: 6 October. Source: Bloomberg

Rates moving higher

Bond yields are rising amid continued fiscal concerns

Nonetheless, more central banks are feeling that they can’t take too many chances and have either delivered rate rises or have signalled that they plan to (or do more). Rising policy rates haven’t helped bond market concerns over fiscal credibility in much of the world – and higher bond yields are posing an additional concern to indebted governments that face rising fiscal pressures from ageing populations.

Resilient growth

Year-to-date growth has largely beaten expectations

But despite all of this, the global economy continues to show remarkable resilience. The global composite PMI is at a 40-month high, consumer demand is holding up (Chart 3), and trade flows are being supported by the wave of AI-related shipments (Chart 4). Growth in the first three quarters of 2026 has outstripped expectations in most economies.

Source: Macrobond
Source: WTO, ITC, HSBC

Challenges remain

Tighter fiscal policy and higher rates pose risks

While there are clearly challenges to this resilience in the coming months from squeezes to real incomes, tighter fiscal policy, and higher interest rates, the continued ability for the global economy to ride out these shocks remains encouraging, even if that growth is uneven and is not being felt by everyone.

Growth forecasts

We forecast 2026 global GDP growth of 2.7%

With the exception of economies such as Korea and Taiwan, where we expect more active fiscal policy – fuelled by tech sector revenues – to support stronger domestic demand, we still forecast some moderation in global growth to the end of the year with higher inflation and higher interest rates weighing on consumer spending.

The upside surprises to Asian and European growth in 1H largely explains the upward revision to our annual average global GDP forecasts for 2026 from 2.5% to 2.7%. Our 2027 forecast is unchanged at 2.7%.

Note: *India data is calendar year forecast here for comparability. Previous forecasts are shown in parenthesis and are from the Macro Monthly dated 7 July 2026. Green indicates an upward revision, red indicates a downward revision. Source: Bloomberg, HSBC Economics
⬆ Positive surprise – actual is higher than consensus, ⬇ Negative surprise – actual is lower than consensus, ➡ Actual is in line with consensus Source: Bloomberg, HSBC.
Source: LSEG Eikon, HSBC

Related Insights

Growth across ASEAN is proving surprisingly resilient in the Year of the Horse…[28 Sep]
China’s latest property measures pivot towards greater delivery certainty and improved...[16 Sep]
Headline inflation risks are growing again but core price data remain well-behaved for now…[9 Sep]
Volatile energy markets continue to swing inflation and rate expectations…[11 Aug]

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