Global growth is expected to increase slightly this year while remaining stuck below its pre-pandemic average, the IMF said Friday, flagging the growing economic divide between the United States and European countries.

Nevertheless, the latest IMF figures showed that the UK economy saw weaker growth last year than the organisation had forecast. It indicated that UK economy grew by 0.9% last year

China notified the International Monetary Fund on Thursday that its economy grew by 5% in 2024, IMF Chief Economist Pierre-Olivier Gourinchas told reporters, calling the development a "positive surprise" compared to the IMF's forecast of 4.

The International Monetary Fund upgraded its global growth forecast for this year, spurred by stronger-than-expected US demand and slowing inflation worldwide that will let central banks continue to cut interest rates.

Pierre-Olivier Gourinchas, the chief economist at the International Monetary Fund, highlighted during a Friday meeting with the media that the 5% GDP growth of the Chinese economy in 2024 was a "positive surprise.