Though inflation has remained relatively stable thus far in 2025, projections estimate that inflation in the United States will increase in 2026 from 2.7 percent to 3 percent.

Fact of the Week: Inflation Is Expected to Rise to 3 Percent in the United States in 2026

The OECD now expects global GDP to grow by 3.1 percent this year, reduced from the previous projection of 3.3 percent in light of heightened trade barriers and political uncertainty.

Fact of the Week: Analysts Have Downgraded Global GDP Growth Projections for 2025 to 3.1 Percent

Experts suggest that increasing the U.S. effective tariff rate by 10 percentage points will increase inflation by up to 1.2 percent.

Fact of the Week: A 10 Percent Increase in the Effective U.S. Tariff Rate Could Lead to an Inflation Increase of up to 1.2 Percent

Though employment is projected to increase over the next two years by 1.1 percent and 0.7 percent, respectively, this growth is expected to reverse over the next several years. The aging populations of many OECD countries will lead to the overall employment rate in the OECD block declining by 8 percent by 2060.

Fact of the Week: The Working-Age Population in the OECD Will Decline by 8 Percent by 2060

Between 2022 and 2023, R&D investment in Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) nations grew by 2.4 percent, a slowdown from the 3.6 percent growth the previous year.

Fact of the Week: R&D Investment Is Slowing in OECD Countries, From 3.6 Percent to 2.4 Percent

A report by the tech research company Digital Science found that, in 2019, 500,000 publications or 10 percent of the world’s total, related to the 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs) outlined by the United Nations.

Fact of the Week: The Share of Global Research Dedicated to U.N. Development Goals Tripled Over the Past 20 Years

In the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) “Global Trade Outlook and Statistics Report for 2025,” the WTO predicts that global merchandise trade will decline by 0.2 percentage points.

Fact of the Week: World Merchandise Trade Is Projected To Fall by 0.2 Percent in 2025

A recent discussion paper finds that among the G-20 economies, a 1 percentage point increase in public R&D investments as a share of GDP corresponds to a 9.57 percent increase in economic growth, writes John Wu in Innovation Files.

Fact of the Week: Among G-20 Economies, a One Percentage Point Increase in Public R&D Investment as a Share of GDP Corresponds to a 10 Percent Increase in Economic Growth

By eliminating price-distorting tariffs, countries give their business and citizens access to more diverse goods at lower prices, and thereby increase the stock of knowledge available to innovators everywhere, writes John Wu in Innovation Files.

Fact of the Week: The OECD Has Increased 2026 Inflation Projections for the G20 by 1.2 Percentage Points Due to the Conflict in the Middle East

Related

Fact of the Week: Inflation Is Expected to Rise to 3 Percent in the United States in 2026

Fact of the Week: Analysts Have Downgraded Global GDP Growth Projections for 2025 to 3.1 Percent

Fact of the Week: A 10 Percent Increase in the Effective U.S. Tariff Rate Could Lead to an Inflation Increase of up to 1.2 Percent