World economy: Restrained expansion in 1986

Abstract

The pace of economic expansion in the world economy as a whole last year was strongly influenced by the cyclical slowdown in the USA. The increase in the real GNP of the industrialised countries, for example, fell from almost 5% in 1984 to just under 3% in 1985. Does this mean that the phase of economic recovery is already coming to an end or is there a chance that the general upward trend will continue?