What awaits the world in 2014? We will know the answers to this question very soon. In the meantime, you can listen to the opinion of experts who are actively publishing their forecasts for the coming year.
We examined the forecasts of such reputable experts as the World Economic Forum and Goldman Sachs. So were collected in the current Top 10 main economic and political trends of the next year.
10. Strengthening the role of megacities
Large cities have been the backbone of the global economy for many years. And although in recent years it has been said that metropolitan populations are turning to life on the ground and downshifting is gaining popularity, forecasts say that more people are leaving rural areas and moving to cities in search of jobs.
9. Central banks will "wind down" programs to support the economy
The market requires the abandonment of state regulation, which means that already in 2014, the central banks of developed countries will have to abandon economic incentive programs.
8. The risk of falling commodity prices increases
In 2014, prices for copper, gold, soybeans and iron ore are forecast to decline by more than 15%. Energy prices are not as predictable and will depend on the dynamics of the world economy.
7. Rising tensions in the Middle East and North Africa
The views of various categories of the population are increasingly polarizing, relations are aggravating, and against the background of high unemployment and economic instability, the situation threatens to become simply explosive.
6. Increase in unemployment
Even today, even in Europe and North America, youth unemployment reaches 50%. The problem is taking on a global scale and threatens to become global. Employers are becoming more and more finicky in search of both inexpensive and skilled labor, which is sufficient in the labor market of developed countries due to the influx of educated migrants.
5. Growing mistrust of public administration
The decline in living standards caused by the economic downturn is causing increasing discontent among the population of even the most prosperous countries. Radical sentiments will grow among the masses, and confidence in political and economic forecasts will drop to unprecedented levels.
4. Amplification of cyber threats
The increasing penetration of the latest technologies into our lives increases the risks associated with them. The scandal caused by the statements of Edward Snowden about the total surveillance by the US government of its citizens and the whole world has not yet subsided, as experts began to predict new revelations.
3. Increased social inequality
Reducing social spending in most countries has become a common way to deal with crisis phenomena. However, this approach leads to the fact that, even in developed countries, an increasing number of people are approaching the poverty line.
2. The global economy will remain weak
Experts predict that G4 central banks will keep interest rates at around zero for quite some time (up to 2016). Although the outlook for global economic growth is positive, no significant shifts are expected in the coming year.
1. China's economy will grow
One of the few economies whose growth will be confident and quite active is China. Therefore, the investment attractiveness of the Celestial Empire in the international market is growing.