Data
Russia’s inflation fight faces push-me-pull-you pressures
Russia’s economy slowed in the first quarter of 2026 broadly as policymakers had anticipated, but the Central Bank of Russia now faces a more complex task as persistent domestic price pressures collide with fresh geopolitical risks abroad.
Taiwan to significantly outpace South Korea by widening GDP per capita margin
South Korea’s real GDP per capita is projected to fall more than $10,000 behind Taiwan’s within five years, underscoring a widening divergence between the two export-led economies.
Iran now offering tax relief to families with three or more children
Iranian authorities have announced tax exemptions for families with three or more children born after October 2021, with a 15% increase in annual tax relief per eligible child under the youth population law.
India’s bank credit growth seen at 13% in FY27
India’s bank credit growth is expected to be around 13% this fiscal year, driven by robust growth in the micro, small and medium enterprise and retail sectors.
IMF the first to improve Russia’s growth outlook on Iran war windfall
The International Monetary Fund has become the first institution to raise its forecast for Russia’s economic growth in 2026 in anticipation of the windfall it is expected to earn from the effects of the Iran war related spike in energy prices.
Turkish automaker Tofas obtains €276mn BBVA loan to produce new K9 LCV models for Stellantis
Istanbul-listed company provided eight-year funding by Madrid-listed bank at Euribor+2.25-2.35%.
IMF the first to improve Russia’s growth outlook on Iran war windfall
The International Monetary Fund has become the first institution to raise its forecast for Russia’s economic growth in 2026 in anticipation of the windfall it is expected to earn from the effects of the Iran war related spike in energy prices.
Istanbul-listed Aksa Enerji obtains $300mn six-year loan from Africa Finance Corporation
Funding will finance power plant investments across African continent.
Turkey has the second most foreign military bases in the world after the US
Turkey has emerged as the country with the second-largest number of foreign military bases in the world after the United States, and is the only Muslim-majority nation with a global military base network of this scale.
Where elections are seen as fair or flawed - OWID
US President Donald Trump signed an executive order earlier this month directing the Department of Homeland Security and the Social Security Administration to compile lists of US citizens eligible to vote in each state, Statista reports.
Developing countries skip landlines and go straight to mobile phones - OWID
The concept of “leapfrogging” is popular in development. It suggests that, as they develop, lower-income countries can skip intermediate technologies or systems and go straight to the modern equivalent, Our World in Data (OWID) reports.
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Dana Gas resumes operations at Iraq’s Khor Mor field as tensions calm
Dana Gas has resumed production at the Khor Mor gas facility in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq after weeks of intermittent operations.
ADB projects slower growth in all of Asia
According to an outlook forecast report by the Asian Development Bank, the broad Asia region including its many developing high growth economies are facing what can be best described as the most complex set of headwinds in years.
ADB says Uzbekistan expected to sustain steady growth of towards 7%
Delivering on the forecast could prove challenging, however, if the Middle East conflict is prolonged.
Fitch downgrades outlook on Turkey as war impacts drain FX reserves
Unscheduled move comes as central bank stung for $50bn in cost of interventions made in defence of lira.
Serbia's FX reserves fall in March as gold prices slump
Gross foreign exchange reserves stood at €28.48bn at the end of March, down by €1.33bn from a month earlier, the central bank said.
Romania’s trade deficit narrows further on weaker consumption, fiscal tightening
Tenth consecutive month of improvement in Romania’s trade balance reflects subdued domestic demand and the effects of ongoing fiscal consolidation
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Czech industrial output grows 1.3% in February as slowdown continues for third month
Czech industrial output rises 1.3% in February, slowing for the third straight month but staying in positive territory on the back of car production. Construction returns to 4.1% growth with housing starts up 46%.
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Serbia holds key rate at 5.75% following global energy shock
Despite the global uncertainty, the NBS still expects inflation to remain within its target band of 3% plus or minus 1.5 percentage points by the end of the year.
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Russia budget deficit widens as oil revenues slump despite expected windfall
Russia’s federal budget deficit widened sharply in the first quarter as oil and gas revenues fell steeply, with economists warning that a price surge linked to the Iran conflict has yet to feed through into state finances.