A study published in Nature found that more than 5 billion people would die from starvation following a nuclear war between the U.S. and Russia. A nuclear war between India and Pakistan would result in more than 2 billion people dying from starvation.
The peer-reviewed study led by Rutgers climate scientists examined six nuclear scenarios to understand the potential global death toll not directly linked to nuclear blasts. Researchers discovered that soot and ash entering the atmosphere — or "atmospheric soot loadings" — from burning cities and forests would cause disruptions to the Earth's climate over decades, severely limiting food production and leading to global famine.
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The number of young people globally who are unable to find employment this year is set to reach 73 million, six million more than before COVID-19, according to the UN labor agency International Labour Organization (ILO). The agency found that youth unemployment is highest in lower-income countries, where unemployment rates remain more than 1% above pre-pandemic levels.
The latest labor data indicates that young women in particular are struggling to find jobs and Arab nations are expected to see the highest levels of youth unemployment by the end of the year. The UN urged governments to implement sustainable green and blue (ocean) policy measures, which could generate 8.4 million jobs for young people by 2030.
Labor Youth Unemployment United Nations Global Economy
References
- Young workers have been hit hardest by COVID fallout, says UN labour agencynews.un.org
- Global Employment Trends for Youth 2022ilo.org
Full report (PDF)
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) reported that it expects the world economy to grow 3.2% this year, down from 6.1% in 2021 and 0.4% lower than forecast in April.
The financial institution attributed the global decline to economic downturns in the U.S., China and Europe, the world's three biggest economies, the result of high inflation worldwide, a coronavirus-related slowdown in China, and the war in Ukraine.
The IMF predicts 2023 to be even lower at 2.9% economic growth, only slightly above the 2.5% level that would indicate a global recession.
Recession Global Economy IMF
References
- Global economy: Outlook worsens as global recession loomsnews.un.org
UN statement on IMF report
- World Economic Outlook Update, July 2022imf.org
Summary of IMF report
- World Economic Outlook Update, July 2022imf.org
Download full IMF report
U.S. President Joe Biden and the other G7 leaders launched Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment, pledging to raise $600 billion in private and public funds by 2027 to finance infrastructure projects in developing countries.
Speaking in Germany, Biden said the U.S. alone would mobilize $200 billion in grants, federal funds, and private investment to support projects that address climate change as well as improve global health, gender equity, and digital infrastructure.
Global Economy Infrastructure G7 Joe Biden
References
The World Bank lowered its annual global growth forecast to 2.9% from January's 4.1%, marking a decline from 2021's global growth of 5.7%.
In a new report, the World Bank blamed damage from the COVID-19 pandemic, magnified by the Russian invasion of Ukraine, for the slowdown in the global economy. Further, the report warned the global economy is entering what could become a "protracted period of feeble growth and elevated inflation" known as stagflation, which will mainly harm developing economies.
"The war in Ukraine, lockdowns in China, supply-chain disruptions, and the risk of stagflation are hammering growth," said World Bank President David Malpass. "For many countries, recession will be hard to avoid."
Global Growth Global Economy World Bank
References
- Global Economic Prospects June 2022worldbank.org
The World Bank announced that it is downgrading the 2022 global economic growth forecast from 4.1% to 3.2%. The decrease is driven largely by the "overlapping crises [of] COVID-19, inflation and Russia's invasion of Ukraine," said World Bank President David Malpass at a media roundtable.
"I'm deeply concerned about developing countries," he continued. "They're facing sudden price increases for energy, fertilizer, and food, and the likelihood of interest rate increases. Each one hits them hard. These, plus the war in Ukraine and China's COVID-related shutdowns, are pushing global growth rates even lower and poverty rates higher."
Inflation Global Economy Ukraine-Russia War COVID-19 World Bank
The World Economic Forum released the 17th edition of The Global Risks Report, which suggests that the global economy will become more unequal in 2022 due in large part to unequal recoveries from the COVID-19 pandemic. The report cites vaccination and healthcare as deciding factors.
World Economic Forum COVID-19 US Economy Global Economy
References
- The Reportwww3.weforum.org