Kosovo is expected to remain among the fastest-growing economies in Europe over the next five years, despite the continent's broader economic slowdown, according to forecasts by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) cited by Euronews.

Acting Finance Minister Hekuran Murati welcomed the Euronews report, which references IMF projections showing that Kosovo is expected to rank among the European countries with the strongest economic growth in the coming years.

While the eurozone is forecast to record average annual growth of just 1.2% between 2027 and 2031, smaller European economies, including those in the Western Balkans, are expected to expand at a significantly faster pace.

According to the IMF, the European Union as a whole is projected to grow by an average of 1.4% per year during the same period, while the global economy is expected to expand by around 3.2% annually. Developing Asia is forecast to grow by 4.6% a year, India by 6.5%, and Sub-Saharan Africa by 4.6%.

The IMF estimates that Europe will continue to face structural challenges, including high public debt, an aging population, low productivity, high energy costs, and geopolitical uncertainty—factors that are expected to keep economic growth below historical levels.

Despite these challenges, Kosovo and other Western Balkan countries are expected to outperform the eurozone average, benefiting from stronger economic growth and their potential to converge with Europe's more advanced economies.

The IMF report also stresses that, to sustain long-term growth, countries should invest more in infrastructure, education, and innovation, while strengthening public finances so that economic expansion is increasingly driven by productivity rather than solely by labor market growth.

According to Euronews, Europe's smaller economies are expected to continue outpacing the eurozone's growth through the end of this decade, despite the challenges facing the continent's economies.