<div><b><span style="font-size: 1rem;">A continued slowdown in almost all the world's advanced economies is expected to drag global growth below three percent this year, the International Monetary Fund's managing director warned on Thursday.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>"With rising geopolitical tensions and still-high inflation, a robust recovery remains elusive," Kristalina Georgieva said in prepared remarks ahead of the IMF and World Bank's spring meetings next week.</div><div><br></div><div>"This harms the prospects of everyone, especially for the most vulnerable people and countries," she added in the speech, due to be delivered in Washington.</div><div><br></div><div>Global growth almost halved last year to 3.4 percent as the impact of Russia's invasion of Ukraine rippled through the world economy, abruptly halting the recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic.</div><div><br></div><div>While Asia's emerging markets are expected to see substantial increases in economic output -- with India and China predicted to account for half of all growth this year -- the good news will be outweighed by the slowdown expected for 90 percent of the world's advanced economies.</div><div><br></div><div>"Growth remains weak by historical comparison -- both in the near and medium term," she said.</div><div><br></div><div>She added that world growth will likely remain at roughly three percent for the next half-decade, the lowest medium-term forecast since the 1990s.</div><div><br></div><div>Low-income countries are expected to suffer a double shock from high borrowing costs and a decline in demand for their exports, which could cause poverty and hunger to increase, Georgieva said, reports AFP&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>"About 15 percent of low-income countries are already in debt distress and another 45 percent face high debt vulnerabilities," she said, calling on wealthier IMF members to do more to provide support.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>