India has emerged with the strongest growth outlook among the economies and regions covered in the World Economic Forum’s latest Chief Economists’ Outlook, with economists becoming significantly more positive about the country’s prospects over the next year.
The September 2026 survey found that 74% of chief economists expect India to record strong or very strong growth over the coming 12 months, up sharply from 52% in May.
98% Expect Moderate Or Strong Growth
The overall assessment of India’s economy is even more positive.
Around 98% of the economists surveyed expect India’s growth to remain moderate or stronger over the next 12 months. This puts India ahead of other major regions covered in the survey.
South-East Asia followed closely, with 73% of respondents expecting strong or very strong growth.
The survey covered major economies and regions including the US, Europe, China, Japan, India, South-East Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, the Middle East and North Africa, Central Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa.
India’s Growth Could Reach 6.7%
The report expects India’s economy to grow around 6.7% during 2026-27.
Resilient domestic demand is expected to remain an important driver of growth, although higher energy prices continue to pose a challenge to the economic outlook.
India’s economy also recorded strong activity during the opening quarter of the current financial year, supporting expectations of continued expansion.
Household Incomes Expected To Rise
The positive outlook extends beyond overall economic growth.
Around 62% of chief economists expect inflation-adjusted household incomes in India to increase over the next year. About 7% expect household incomes to rise significantly.
India and South-East Asia stand out on this measure, as respondents in many other regions are more likely to expect real household incomes to remain unchanged or decline.
Job Market Outlook Remains Stable
Economists also expect India’s labour market to remain broadly stable.
Around 70% of respondents expect the unemployment rate to remain unchanged over the next 12 months. Meanwhile, 17% expect unemployment to increase and 13% anticipate a decline.
India’s unemployment rate for people aged 15 and above stood at 5% in August, down from 5.1% in July.
Inflation Concerns Have Moderated
Inflation expectations have also improved compared with the previous survey.
Around 55% of economists now expect moderate inflation in India over the next year, while 45% expect high inflation.
This represents an improvement from May, when a larger proportion of respondents expected high or very high inflation.
However, consumer inflation rose to 4.8% in August, remaining within India’s permitted tolerance range but above the Reserve Bank of India’s medium-term 4% target.
MNC Appeal Has Declined
Despite the strong economic outlook, India’s attractiveness as a business destination for multinational companies has weakened somewhat.
India slipped from second to fourth place in the survey’s ranking of favourable business environments for multinational companies.
Around 40% of respondents included India among their top three destinations, compared with 56% in the previous survey.
This indicates that strong growth expectations and perceptions of the business environment are not necessarily moving in the same direction.
Global Economic Sentiment Improves
The global economic outlook has also improved significantly.
Around 56% of chief economists expect global economic conditions to remain stable or strengthen over the next year. This compares with 89% who expected conditions to deteriorate in May.
However, geopolitical conflicts remain the biggest source of uncertainty, with 97% of respondents identifying them as a major concern.
The survey was conducted between August 4 and 20, 2026, among chief economists from the public and private sectors.
Summary
India has the strongest growth outlook among the economies and regions covered in the WEF’s September 2026 survey. Around 74% of chief economists expect strong or very strong growth over the next year, while 98% foresee moderate or stronger growth. Household incomes and employment are also expected to remain resilient, although energy prices and geopolitical risks remain concerns.
