Commodity prices set to hit lows as economic growth falters, says World Bank

THE latest Commodity Markets Outlook from the World Bank paints a worrying picture for the global economy, predicting that declining growth, abundant oil supply, and surging trade barriers will likely push global commodity prices to their lowest levels of the 2020s.

- SIPHELELE DLUDLA

As crisis looms for developing economies reliant on commodity exports, World Bank experts on Tuesday warned of an emerging economic landscape fraught with challenges.

Forecasts indicate that global commodity prices are set to decrease by 12% in 2025, with an additional 5% drop expected in 2026, bringing prices down to levels unseen since 2020.

While nominal prices may still surpass pre-pandemic figures, an inflation-adjusted evaluation reveals a stark reality: prices are likely to sink below the average levels maintained from 2015 through 2019, signalling the end of a commodity boom that initially followed the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequently spiked due to the geopolitical ramifications of the Russia-Ukraine war.