The 10 Fastest-Growing Economies in 2026
Ranked by projected real GDP growth in the IMF's October 2026 World Economic Outlook. Guyana leads by a wide margin, and the 2027 leaders look completely different.
Quick Answer
Guyana is the world's fastest-growing economy in 2026, with projected real GDP growth of 22.3%, according to the IMF's October 2026 World Economic Outlook. That is more than double second-place Taiwan (10.7%), followed by South Sudan (10.5%), Ethiopia (9.2%) and Kyrgyzstan (9.0%). Georgia and Guinea tie for 10th at 7.2%, so the top 10 contains 11 economies. For comparison, the IMF projects 3.1% growth for the world and 2.3% for the United States.
This ranking uses real GDP growth, the annual percentage change in an economy's output after adjusting for inflation. Figures are the IMF's projections for 2026 from its October 2026 World Economic Outlook, covering every economy in the IMF's dataset. Fast growth often comes from a small base or a single industry, so a high rate doesn't mean an economy is large or rich. Several economies on this list are small, and the ranking reflects how quickly they are projected to expand, not their size.
What changes in 2027
The top of the growth ranking changes dramatically in the IMF's 2027 projections. Iraq leads at 19.0%, followed by Qatar at 18.8% and Kuwait at 17.1%. All three are projected to rebound after contracting sharply in 2026, by about 16%, 15.6% and 16.7%. Guyana remains near the top, ranking fourth at 16.8%. The IMF's forecast assumes that the Strait of Hormuz gradually reopens from March 2027, with shipping returning to prewar conditions by October. These projections depend on that assumption and could change if conditions develop differently.
Projected real GDP growth, 2026 (%)
Source: IMF World Economic Outlook, October 2026Georgia and Guinea are tied at 7.2% as published by the IMF (to one decimal place), so 11 economies share the 10 ranking positions. Tap any economy to jump to its full breakdown below.
Ranked #10 to #1
- Projected growth (2026):
- 7.2%
- Category:
- West Africa
Guinea ties with Georgia for 10th place, with projected real GDP growth of 7.2% in 2026.
Guinea is one of four African economies among the 11 shown, alongside South Sudan, Ethiopia and Rwanda.
Source: IMF World Economic Outlook, October 2026
- Projected growth (2026):
- 7.2%
- Category:
- Caucasus
Georgia ties with Guinea for 10th place, with projected real GDP growth of 7.2% in 2026.
Georgia and Guinea are just 0.2 percentage points ahead of the five economies tied at 7.0%, which include India.
Source: IMF World Economic Outlook, October 2026
- Projected growth (2026):
- 7.3%
- Category:
- Central Asia
Tajikistan is projected to grow 7.3% in 2026, just 0.1 percentage points ahead of the tie at 10th.
Tajikistan is one of three Central Asian economies in this top 10, alongside Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan.
Source: IMF World Economic Outlook, October 2026
- Projected growth (2026):
- 7.4%
- Category:
- East Africa
Rwanda is projected to grow 7.4% in 2026, 0.1 percentage points ahead of Tajikistan.
Rwanda is one of two East African economies in this top 10, alongside Ethiopia.
Source: IMF World Economic Outlook, October 2026
- Projected growth (2026):
- 7.8%
- Category:
- Central Asia
Uzbekistan, the most populous country in Central Asia, is projected to grow 7.8% in 2026.
Uzbekistan is 0.4 percentage points ahead of Rwanda in 8th.
Source: IMF World Economic Outlook, October 2026
- Projected growth (2026):
- 8.4%
- Category:
- Southeast Asia
Vietnam is projected to grow 8.4% in 2026, the only Southeast Asian economy in this top 10.
Vietnam is 0.6 percentage points clear of Uzbekistan in 7th. In the IMF's 2027 projections, it grows 7.5%.
Source: IMF World Economic Outlook, October 2026
- Projected growth (2026):
- 9.0%
- Category:
- Central Asia
Kyrgyzstan is projected to grow 9.0% in 2026, the fastest of the three Central Asian economies in this top 10.
Kyrgyzstan is only 0.2 percentage points behind Ethiopia in 4th.
Source: IMF World Economic Outlook, October 2026
- Projected growth (2026):
- 9.2%
- Category:
- East Africa
Ethiopia is projected to grow 9.2% in 2026, the fastest pace among the African economies on this list after South Sudan.
Ethiopia is 1.3 percentage points behind South Sudan in 3rd.
Source: IMF World Economic Outlook, October 2026
- Projected growth (2026):
- 10.5%
- Category:
- East Africa
South Sudan is projected to grow 10.5% in 2026, one of only three economies above 10%.
South Sudan is just 0.2 percentage points behind Taiwan in 2nd.
Source: IMF World Economic Outlook, October 2026
- Projected growth (2026):
- 10.7%
- Category:
- East Asia
Taiwan is projected to grow 10.7% in 2026, by far the fastest of the IMF's advanced economies, helped by global demand for AI chips.
Taiwan is the only advanced economy in this top 10. The IMF lists it as "Taiwan Province of China".
Source: IMF World Economic Outlook, October 2026
- Projected growth (2026):
- 22.3%
- Category:
- South America
Guyana is projected to grow 22.3% in 2026, more than double any other economy, as new offshore oil fields come online. The IMF projects its non-oil economy to grow 10.2%.
Guyana's projected growth is about seven times the IMF's world average of 3.1%. In 2027 it is projected to grow 16.8%, fourth in the world.
Source: IMF World Economic Outlook, October 2026
What the numbers tell us
Only three economies in this ranking are projected to grow by more than 10% in 2026: Guyana, Taiwan and South Sudan. African economies account for four of the 11 entries, while Central Asian economies account for three. India narrowly misses the top 10 ranking positions, with projected growth of 7.0%. In 2027, Iraq, Qatar and Kuwait lead the growth ranking following projected contractions in 2026, while global growth is forecast to rise to 3.4%.
- Data period:
- 2026 projections (with 2027 projections in the callout), IMF World Economic Outlook, October 2026
- Last updated:
- October 29, 2026
- Sources:
- International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook (October 2026), real GDP growth (annual percent change), as reported by The Star (Kenya) and Visual Capitalist; Guyana's non-oil growth from the IMF's 2026 Article IV statement on Guyana; 2026 contraction figures for Iraq, Qatar and Kuwait and the IMF's Strait of Hormuz assumption as reported by The National, Al Jazeera and Shafaq News.
- Source links:
- IMF World Economic Outlook, October 2026 (primary source)
- The Star: The world's fastest-growing economies in 2026 (IMF October 2026)
- IMF: 2026 Article IV consultation with Guyana
- Visual Capitalist: The economies set to grow fastest in 2027
- The National: IMF cuts 2026 growth forecasts for Gulf economies
- Shafaq News: IMF projects Iraq's economy to shrink 16% in 2026
Economies are ranked by the IMF's projected real GDP growth for 2026 from the October 2026 World Economic Outlook. These are forecasts, not final results, and the IMF revises them in each edition. Georgia and Guinea are both 7.2% at the IMF's published one-decimal precision, so they are shown as tied and the top 10 includes 11 economies (some outlets list Georgia first); India, Benin, Bhutan, Niger and Sudan tie for 12th at 7.0%. India's figures are reported on a fiscal-year basis (April to March). The IMF lists Taiwan as "Taiwan Province of China"; it is included here as an economy, as in the IMF data. Percentage-point gaps are calculated by Viszlyn from the IMF figures. Real growth measures the change in output, not the size of an economy.
Figures marked as estimates are based on publicly available information and may vary from other published sources.
Frequently Asked Questions
Guyana, with projected real GDP growth of 22.3% in 2026, according to the IMF's October 2026 World Economic Outlook. That is more than double second-place Taiwan's 10.7%.