MOSCOW: The World Bank expects Russia's economy to shrink 6% this year, the most since 2009, under pressure from the coronavirus pandemic and falling oil prices, before returning to growth in 2021-2022.
Russia's economy has been pummelled by a health crisis that has slowed business activity and demand for oil, its main export, across the globe.
Russia's unemployment has soared after lockdowns were imposed across the country earlier this year. Gross domestic product is now projected to shrink at its fastest pace in 11 years, the World Bank said on Monday, as it predicted the global economy would contract by 5.2% this year.
In 2021, Russia's GDP is expected to expand 2.7% and 3.1% in 2022, the World Bank said.
"Even with positive projected GDP growth ahead, GDP levels in 2022 would have barely caught up to pre-pandemic levels," the World Bank said.
In the absence of a second wave of the coronavirus pandemic that could force Russia to re-impose restrictions on business, a moderate recovery could get under way in the second half of 2020, led by household consumption, according to the World Bank.
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