The World Bank has sounded the "Developing Economies Alert": the next 25 years will be more difficult than the past 25 years.

The World Bank warns that developing economies around the world will face increasingly difficult times in the future. Global economic growth is slow, making it hard for these economies to improve living standards. The highly uncertain policy environment and the rise of extreme right-wing forces in developed countries are also hindering investment in poorer countries. The World Bank predicts that global economic growth will remain stable but weak in the next two years, with growth of only 2.7% this year and next. Developing economies will face even greater challenges in the next 25 years compared to the past 25 years. This international lending institution dedicated to eliminating poverty issued a warning in its latest Global Economic Prospects report on Tuesday, stating that the long-term growth prospects for developing economies are the weakest since the early 21st century. The number of countries transitioning from low-income to middle-income status in the next 25 years will be very few, meaning that millions of people will continue to be trapped in extreme poverty, hunger, and malnutrition. "At the beginning of this century, developing economies were narrowing the income gap with the wealthiest economies, but now, most of them have fallen further behind," wrote World Bank Chief Economist Carmen Reinhart in the preface of the report. The World Bank maintains its growth forecasts for the global economy, predicting that expansion will be below the average level of the pre-pandemic years. Headquartered in Washington, the World Bank expects global economic growth to reach 2.7% this year and next, unchanged from the previous June forecast. This is lower than the pre-pandemic average growth rate of 3.1%, indicating that global economic growth is too slow to help poorer countries catch up with wealthier ones. Furthermore, the World Bank warns that if the United States imposes a 10% blanket tariff under President Trump's leadership, and global trading partners retaliate with tariffs, global economic growth could decrease by 0.3 percentage points by 2025, falling from 2.7% to 2.4%. The World Bank also predicts that the US economy will slow down in a new round of trade wars, with economic growth reaching 2.3% this year but dropping by 0.9 percentage points in the event of a trade war. Researchers at the World Bank state that most developing countries are facing challenges such as weak investment, slow productivity growth, aging populations, and environmental crises. The World Bank also adds that the global economy faces further challenges due to shifting trade policies and geopolitical tensions, hampering the progress of developing economies. Since 2022, escalating conflicts between Russia and Ukraine, as well as Israel's attacks on Hamas and Hezbollah since last year, have disrupted global commodity prices and supply chains, notably impacting developing economies with weaker foundations. The growing competition between China and the US is putting immense pressure on global trade. Meanwhile, President-elect Donald Trump has promised to impose significant tariffs, threatening to disrupt the global trade model and potentially trigger a new round of inflation in the US. With Trump and right-wing forces in European countries driving the push for protectionism, globalization faces serious challenges, with a trend towards deglobalization gradually emerging. Known as the "King of Understanding," Trump will return to the White House in a few days, and the MAGA wave will once again sweep through the United States. Those MAGA supporters who have long followed Trump are entering the US Congress, and under the rise of strong right-wing forces globally, a new chapter in human society's deglobalization is quietly unfolding, and from 2025 onwards, the global economy may witness an acceleration of the deglobalization process. The World Bank notes in its report that since 2000, emerging markets and developing economies (including China, India, and Brazil) have contributed about 60% to global economic growth, double that of the 1990s. However, they are now facing protectionist measures from developed Western economies, increasing debt pressures from developed economies leading to almost stagnant external investments, and external threats due to geopolitics becoming more divisive. Additionally, some countries are facing major obstacles in implementing structural reform measures. At the same time, the World Bank states in the report that the progress of low-income countries (with per capita gross national income of approximately $3 per day) towards middle-income status has essentially stalled. While 39 countries have "graduated" since 2000, 26 countries are still struggling due to weak growth, violence and conflicts, and exacerbated effects of climate change. "Developing economies should not expect the road ahead to be easy: the next 25 years will be tougher than the past 25 years," wrote researchers led by Carmen Reinhart at the World Bank.