IMF WEO macroeconomic forecasts panel dataset

Abstract

This paper introduces a meticulously organized dataset derived from the International Monetary Fund's World Economic Outlook (IMF WEO) forecasts, including GDP growth, CPI inflation, and current account balances for 196 countries from 1990 to 2024. Sourced from the WEO historical database and updated to 2024, the dataset contains forecasts of crucial economic indicators — GDP growth, CPI inflation, and current account balance — in an accessible and user-friendly Excel format. This dataset is a valuable resource for academic researchers, economists at central banks, finance ministries, and other stakeholders, enabling diverse analyses such as evaluations of IMF forecasts, research into optimism bias, and studies on equilibrium exchange rates. Additionally, it may be useful for foreign investors in making informed strategic investment decisions.

Keywords

• IMF
• WEO
• Economic forecasts
• Tidy dataset
• GDP growth
• CPI inflation