THE United Nations (U.N.) said late Thursday that it cut its forecast for global economic growth in 2015 by 0.4 percentage points to 2.4 percent, largely due to lower commodity prices, increased market volatility and slow growth in emerging market economies.

    There will be a slight pickup next year, the world body said in its annual World Economic Situation and Prospects report.

    “The world economy is projected to grow by 2.9 percent in 2016 and 3.2 percent in 2017, supported by generally less restrictive fiscal and still accommodative monetary policy stances worldwide,” the U.N. said in a statement accompanying the report.

    The International Monetary Fund (IMF), also in the U.N. family, said in October that it had cut its global growth forecast for this year by 0.2 percentage points to 3.1 percent. The IMF also cited declining commodity prices and weaker economic prospects for large emerging market economies.

    “Given the much anticipated slowdown in China and persistently weak economic performances in other large emerging economies, notably the Russian Federation and Brazil, the pivot of global growth is partially shifting again towards developed economies,” the U.N. statement said.

    The U.N. report said growth in developing and transition economies was at its weakest since the global financial crisis of 2008-09.

    In addition to macroeconomic uncertainties and weak commodity prices, the U.N. report cited rising volatility in exchange rates and capital flows and stagnant investment and productivity growth as factors behind slowing global growth.

    (SD-Agencies)