The United Nations (UN) has lowered its economic growth forecast for the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and Georgia.
Operative Information Center-OMM reports that, according to a report by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA), the regional economy is expected to grow by 1.8% in 2026 and 2.2% in 2027.
In a report published by the UN earlier this year, economic growth in the CIS and Georgia was forecast at 2.1% in 2026 and 2.5% in 2027. The UN has therefore lowered its forecast for both years by 0.3 percentage points.
The downgrade comes amid differing economic trends across the region. The UN said economic growth remained weak in Russia and Ukraine, while high levels of economic activity continued in the Caucasus and Central Asian countries.
In particular, Russia’s economic growth forecast for 2026 was cut from 1% to 0.5%. The UN said economic activity in Russia was being negatively affected by disruptions to domestic fuel supplies and oil and grain export capacity, tighter sanctions, labor shortages and restrictive monetary policy.
In Ukraine, electricity shortages and damage to port infrastructure are limiting economic activity. The UN expects the country’s economy to grow by less than 1% in 2026.
At the same time, most countries in the Caucasus and Central Asia maintained a high pace of economic growth in the first half of 2026, despite logistics problems linked to the conflict in the Middle East and higher fuel import costs.
The CIS is a regional association of several former Soviet republics. Economic performance across the grouping varies considerably, reflecting differences in commodity exports, domestic demand, infrastructure and exposure to external trade disruptions.
