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Navigating a more divergent world

The Year Ahead 2024

Essential insights into 2024

Big questions loom – for investors, businesses, and policymakers – over the outlook for the year ahead. Will inflation fall or remain stubborn – and how might central banks in different regions respond? Will simmering geopolitical tensions boil over – and if so, how could that affect the trade landscape? With 2024 shaping up to be one of the busiest election years on record, what kinds of political swings might we expect – and what could that mean for momentum around domestic policy priorities or crucial global efforts like the battle against climate change?

Get prepared for 2024 by taking a closer look at the big themes and events moving markets and shaping the economy in the year ahead.

The 20s economy: hardly soaring, yet far from boring

The new normal looks likely to be punctuated slower growth, stubborn inflation, geopolitical risk, and a new breed of trade protectionism.

Climbing down from the peak: what to expect from central banks in 2024

After a period of rises in interest rates, we can finally start to see the path down from the peak – but there may be forks in the road and detours aplenty. 

Hear the experts

Our specialists share their views on whether some of the big themes in 2023 – banking sector weakness, geopolitical risk, and slowing corporate investment – will feature in the year ahead.

Could geopolitical tensions escalate in 2024?

Geopolitical risk has risen sharply over the past year – and in recent months concerns have intensified around the prospect for further escalation across a range of geographies and dimensions. 

How resilient will financial markets remain in 2024?

The resilience of markets and financial institutions was tested at various times throughout 2023, raising concerns about the health of the global financial system. Will those worries persist in the year ahead?   

Will companies invest or sit on the sidelines in 2024?

As we look ahead to a year marked by slow economic growth, lower rates and (hopefully) inflation, the path forward for companies is far from certain. How might the economic and market landscape influence corporate hedging, funding and investment?

The Year of the ballot box: how key elections could hold huge sway over the outlook

More than 40 national elections are slated for 2024, including in the UK and US. We take a closer look at the odds and the potential implications for policy.

What China’s decoupling from the world economy means for markets

Given the direction of travel in geopolitics, policy and the economy, the days of China being the prime mover for global markets look behind us. 

Will climate policy gain or lose momentum in 2024?

As global governments race to achieve decarbonisation targets, big questions loom large over the direction of climate policy among the world’s largest emitters.

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