Visa has released its 2026 Global Economic Outlook, projecting 2.7% global GDP growth while identifying fundamental economic transformation beneath the steady headline number. The report highlights three structural forces reshaping the economy: geopolitical considerations displacing traditional globalization, generative AI accelerating from experimentation to integration, and population aging pressuring growth in advanced economies.
Consumer spending is forecast to remain resilient at 2.4% growth in 2026, moderating from 2.7% in 2025, while inflation is expected to ease from 3.4% to 3.1%. Business investment is accelerating, driven by AI infrastructure buildout and declining policy uncertainty, offsetting the consumption slowdown.
The outlook emphasizes that new regional trade corridors are emerging as geopolitical considerations increasingly influence economic relationships, while AI adoption is transforming productivity and business models across sectors. The full report is available through Visa’s Investor Relations and Visa Perspectives websites.