Biełstat reports economic growth acceleration
August 16, Pozirk. The Belarusian economy grew by 5.5 percent in the first seven months of 2024, the National Statistics Committee (Biełstat) said.
Growth slowed down to 5 percent in the first half of the year after 5.2 percent reported in January-May. Despite the fluctuations, it outpaced the government’s estimate of 3.8-percent expansion for 2024.
Biełstat reported an increase of 18.1 percent in agricultural output, 11.8 percent in retail sales, 7.5 percent in industrial output, 3.8 in transportation and 9.6 percent in real disposable income.
Most economists had a more pessimistic outlook for Belarus at the start of the year.
The International Monetary Fund expected Belarus to grow by 2.4 percent, while the World Bank projected a 1.2-percent increase.
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the BEROC think tank predicted growth of 2.8 and 4 percent, respectively.
In 2023, Belarus’ economy grew by 3.9 percent after 4.7-percent contraction in 2022.
Biełstat: agricultural production up 18 percent in seven months
August 15, Pozirk. Belarusian farmers and households produced 16.4 billion rubels (about $5 billion at the current exchange rate) worth of agricultural products in January–July. That was an 18.1-percent increase year on year, the National Statistical Committee (Biełstat) reports. In …