Islamabad: Adviser to the Finance Minister Mr. Khurram Shehzad has said that the latest macroeconomic projections released by SandP Global Market Intelligence (SandP) for Pakistan broadly align with the State Bank of Pakistan's (SBP) outlook, indicating easing inflation and gradual economic recovery over the medium term.

According to SandP, inflation is projected at 5.1 percent in 2026 and 5.6 percent in 2027, reflecting stable to slightly higher price pressures. These point forecasts fall within SBP's projected inflation range of 5-7 percent for the next two years.

On the external front, SandP expects the current account deficit to remain contained at 0.5 percent of GDP in 2026, which is in line with SBP's expectation of a deficit within 0-1 percent of GDP for FY26. For 2027, SandP projects the deficit at 1.3 percent of GDP, slightly above SBP's FY26 guidance, noting that the central bank's projection is specific to FY26.

Regarding economic growth, SandP forecasts real GDP growth of 3.5 percent in FY26, marginally below SBP's projected range of 3.75-4.75 percent. However, growth is expected to strengthen to 4.4 percent in FY27, indicating improving economic momentum.

Overall, the SandP assessment corroborates SBP's view of moderating inflation, a manageable external account position, and a gradual pickup in economic growth, with only minor variations in growth and current account projections.