SARAJEVO (Bosnia and Herzegovina), October 4 (SeeNews) – Italy’s UniCredit group expects robust annual economic growth of 5.5% to 6.7% in three European Union-aspiring southeast European countries in 2007, it said on Thursday in its latest report on central and eastern Europe (CEE).
Growth, however, is to slightly slow down to 4.4% to 6.3% in 2009 in Balkan neighbours Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, and Serbia, the quarterly report said.
Following are details from UniCredit's macroeconomic forecasts for 2007, 2008 and 2009:
BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA
| (change from the previous year in pct) |
2007 |
2008 |
2009 |
| Real GDP growth |
6.7 |
6.5 |
6.3 |
| CPI (avg annual) |
1.8 |
3.4 |
3.1 |
| Budget balance (as % of GDP) |
2.3 |
1.9 |
1.3 |
| Unemployment rate (avg annual) |
44.0 |
42.5 |
41.0 |
| C/A balance (pct of GDP) |
-16.9 |
-17.5 |
-18.0 |
| Total external debt (pct of GDP |
58.4 |
59.7 |
61.2 |
| FDI inflow (as % of GDP) |
12.0 |
5.5 |
6.0 |
CROATIA
| (change from the previous year in pct) |
2007 |
2008 |
2009 |
| Real GDP growth |
5.5 |
4.7 |
4.4 |
| CPI (avg annual) |
2.4 |
2.8 |
2.5 |
| Budget balance (as % of GDP) |
-2.6 |
-2.5 |
-2.2 |
| Unemployment rate (avg annual) |
10.2 |
9.4 |
8.8 |
| C/A balance (pct of GDP) |
-8.3 |
-7.9 |
-7.5 |
| Total external debt (pct of GDP) |
86.2 |
86.3 |
86.2 |
| FDI inflow (as % of GDP) |
6.2 |
4.3 |
4.4 |
SERBIA
| (change from the previous year in pct) |
2007 |
2008 |
2009 |
| Real GDP growth |
6.5 |
6.2 |
5.9 |
| CPI (avg annual) |
6.3 |
7.1 |
6.0 |
| Budget balance (as % of GDP) |
-0.5 |
-0.6 |
-0.9 |
| Unemployment rate (avg annual) |
21.2 |
20.7 |
20.3 |
| C/A balance (pct of GDP) |
-14.3 |
-13.2 |
-11.6 |
| Total external debt (pct of GDP) |
60.1 |
59.5 |
59.3 |
| FDI inflow (as % of GDP) |
6.2 |
6.3 |
6.1 |