Will the Economy Ever Get Better in 2024 and Beyond?

The year 2024 has arrived and many people are wondering about the state of the U.S. and global economies. Will it recover from the slowdown and uncertainty that plagued the previous years? Will it face new challenges and risks that could derail its growth prospects? Will it benefit from the opportunities and innovations that are emerging in various sectors and regions?

There is no simple answer to these questions, as the economic outlook for 2024 depends on several factors, such as the evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic and its variants, the effectiveness of vaccination campaigns and public health measures, the policy responses of governments and central banks, the trade and geopolitical tensions among major powers, the environmental and social issues that demand urgent action, and the technological and demographic changes that are reshaping the world.

Global Economic Growth: A Mixed Picture

According to the IMF, the global economy is expected to grow by 2.9% in 2024, slightly lower than the 3% growth rate recorded in 2023. However, this aggregate figure masks significant differences across regions and countries, reflecting their varying exposure to the pandemic, their policy support measures, their structural characteristics, and their external conditions.

Among the advanced economies:

• The United States: expected to lead the recovery, with a growth rate of 1.5% in 2024, supported by strong consumer spending, fiscal stimulus, and vaccination progress.
• The euro area: projected to grow by 1.2%, grappling with high infection rates, lockdowns, and supply chain disruptions.
• Japan: forecast to grow by 0.6%, facing demographic headwinds, low inflation, and subdued domestic demand.

Among the emerging markets and developing economies:

• China: expected to remain the main engine of growth, with a rate of 4.2% in 2024, driven by its resilient industrial sector, robust exports, and investment in infrastructure and innovation.
• India: projected to grow by 6.8%, recovering from a severe contraction in 2023 caused by a devastating second wave of COVID-19.
• Brazil: forecast to grow by 2%, benefiting from higher commodity prices, improved confidence, and lower interest rates.

However, not all emerging markets and developing economies are expected to perform well in 2024. Some of them face significant challenges, such as high debt levels, weak governance, social unrest, political instability, climate shocks, and limited access to vaccines. These factors could hamper their growth potential and increase their vulnerability to external shocks.

Geoeconomic Fragmentation: A Rising Threat

One of the major risks that could undermine the global economic recovery in 2024 is the increasing geoeconomic fragmentation that results from trade and geopolitical conflicts among major powers. According to a survey conducted by the WEF among chief economists, almost seven out of ten respondents expect the pace of geoeconomic fragmentation to accelerate in 2024. This could have negative implications for global trade, investment, innovation, cooperation, and stability.

One of the main sources of geoeconomic fragmentation is the ongoing rivalry between the United States and China, which has manifested itself in various domains, such as trade tariffs, technology bans, human rights sanctions, and military posturing. The two countries have been engaged in a trade war since 2018, which has resulted in higher tariffs on hundreds of billions of dollars worth of goods, disrupted global supply chains, and reduced global trade volumes.

The trade war has also spilled over into other areas, such as technology, where both countries have imposed restrictions on each other’s firms and sought to gain an edge in emerging fields like artificial intelligence, biotechnology, and quantum computing. The rivalry has also intensified on human rights issues, such as Hong Kong, Xinjiang, and Tibet, where both countries have imposed sanctions on each other’s officials and accused each other of violating international norms.

The rivalry has also increased military tensions in regions like the South China Sea, the Taiwan Strait, and the Indo-Pacific, where both countries have conducted naval exercises, increased their presence, and supported their allies.

The US-China rivalry poses a serious challenge for the global economy in 2024, as it creates uncertainty for businesses, consumers, and investors, and reduces opportunities for cooperation on global issues like climate change, pandemic response, and nuclear proliferation. The rivalry also forces other countries to choose sides or balance between the two powers, which could undermine regional stability and integration.

Another source of geoeconomic fragmentation is the uncertainty over the future of the European Union (EU), which has been facing multiple crises in recent years, such as Brexit, the COVID-19 pandemic, the migration challenge, the rise of populism, and the rule of law disputes. The EU has been struggling to maintain its cohesion and unity, as well as its influence and competitiveness in the global arena.

The EU has also been facing external pressures from Russia, China, Turkey, and the United States, which have challenged its interests and values in various regions and domains. The EU’s economic outlook for 2024 is mixed, as it depends on its ability to overcome the pandemic, implement its recovery plan, deepen its single market, strengthen its fiscal and monetary union, and enhance its digital and green transitions.

The EU’s economic performance also hinges on its external relations, especially with the United Kingdom, which left the bloc in 2020 and has been negotiating a new trade and cooperation agreement with it. The EU also needs to redefine its strategic partnership with the United States, which has been strained under the Trump administration and could improve under the Biden administration.

The EU also needs to manage its complex and multifaceted relationship with China, which is both a partner and a competitor for the bloc. The EU also needs to deal with its neighborhood challenges, such as Russia’s aggression in Ukraine and elsewhere, Turkey’s assertiveness in the Eastern Mediterranean and beyond, and the instability and conflicts in the Middle East and Africa.

The EU’s Economic Prospects for 2024 and Global Impact

The EU’s economic prospects for 2024 will affect not only its own citizens and businesses but also the rest of the world, as the EU is one of the largest economies and trading partners globally. The EU’s economic performance will also influence its political and diplomatic role in the world, as well as its ability to promote its values and interests globally.

Key Trends and Challenges for 2024 and Beyond

Besides the global economic growth and geoeconomic fragmentation scenarios discussed above, there are other important trends and challenges that will shape the economic landscape in 2024 and beyond. Some of these trends and challenges are:

Climate Change: The climate crisis is one of the most urgent and existential threats facing humanity, posing severe risks for the environment, human health, food security, water availability, biodiversity, peace, and security. The global community has agreed to limit the rise in global average temperature to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels, preferably to 1.5°C, by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and enhancing adaptation measures.

However, the current level of ambition and action is insufficient to achieve this goal, as global emissions continue to rise and global warming accelerates. According to the UN, global emissions need to fall by 7.6% per year between 2020 and 2030 to keep the 1.5°C goal within reach. This requires a radical transformation of the global economy, especially in key sectors like energy, transport, industry, agriculture, and buildings. It also requires unprecedented cooperation and coordination among governments, businesses, civil society, and individuals.

Digital Transformation: The digital revolution is transforming every aspect of human activity, from communication and education to commerce and entertainment. The rapid development and diffusion of new technologies, such as artificial intelligence, big data, cloud computing, blockchain, internet of things, 5G, biotechnology, nanotechnology, robotics, and quantum computing, are creating new opportunities for innovation, productivity, efficiency, inclusion, and empowerment.

However, they also pose new challenges for regulation, governance, ethics, security, privacy, equality, employment, education, and social cohesion. The digital transformation also creates new sources of competition and cooperation among countries and regions as they seek to gain an advantage or a level playing field in the digital domain.

Demographic Change: The world population is expected to reach 8.1 billion by 2024 and 9.7 billion by 2050. This growth will be unevenly distributed across regions and countries. Some areas will face rapid population growth and urbanization, while others will face population decline and aging. These demographic changes will have significant implications for:

• The demand for goods and services
• The supply of labor and skills
• The distribution of income and wealth
• The pressure on natural resources and environment
• The social protection systems and public finances
• The migration flows and integration policies

Social Change:

The world is witnessing profound social changes that affect the values, attitudes, behaviors, and expectations of individuals and groups. Some of these changes are driven by the rising aspirations and demands of people for more freedom, equality, justice, and dignity. Some are driven by the increasing diversity and pluralism of societies due to migration, globalization, and cultural exchange.

Some are driven by the growing awareness and activism of people on issues like climate change, human rights, democracy, and peace. These social changes create new opportunities for dialogue and collaboration among different stakeholders, such as governments, businesses, civil society, and individuals. However, they also create new challenges for managing conflicts, addressing inequalities, ensuring inclusion, and fostering trust.

Governance Change:

The world is experiencing a shift in the balance of power and influence among different actors and institutions that shape the global order and the rules of the game. Some of these changes are driven by the rise of new powers, such as China, India, and other emerging markets, that challenge the dominance of the established powers, such as the United States and its allies.

Some are driven by the emergence of new actors, such as non-state actors, subnational actors, and networked actors, that play an increasingly important role in global affairs. Some are driven by the evolution of new institutions, such as multilateral organizations, regional organizations, and informal coalitions, that provide platforms for cooperation or competition on various issues. These governance changes create new opportunities for addressing global challenges and advancing global public goods. However, they also create new risks for fragmentation, polarization, instability, and disorder.

Conclusion

The global economy in 2024 is likely to be a mixed bag of opportunities and challenges, depending on how the various factors and trends discussed above interact and evolve. The economic outlook for 2024 is not set in stone but rather depends on the choices and actions of various actors and stakeholders at different levels.

Therefore, it is important to monitor the developments and dynamics of the global economy closely and to be prepared for different scenarios and contingencies. It is also important to engage in constructive dialogue and collaboration with different partners and peers to shape a more resilient, inclusive, sustainable, and prosperous global economy for 2024 and beyond.