December 20 (SeeNews) - Croatia's central bank, HNB, said on Wednesday it has revised downward its forecast for the country's economic growth this year to 3.1%, and projects that it will slow further to 2.9% in 2018.
In October, the central bank said Croatia will end 2017 with GDP growth of 3.3%.
"A slight slowdown in economic activity is the result of lower investments. The growth in total exports and personal consumption is also expected to decelerate," the c-bank said in a statement quoting its governor Boris Vujcic.
The highest risk to economic growth is the absence of stronger investments, he noted, adding that further GDP growth is impossible without structural reforms aimed to improve the country's investment climate.
The central bank expects Croatia's inflation to accelerate to 1.2% in 2017 and further to 1.6% in 2018.