SESRIC launched the OIC Economic Outlook 2026: Navigating Growth, Transformation and Global Uncertainty during the 42^nd Session of the Standing Committee for Economic and Commercial Cooperation of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (COMCEC), held on 31 October–3 November 2026 in İstanbul, Türkiye, where it also presented the report’s key findings to the Member States.

The report provides a comprehensive assessment of recent economic performance and developments in OIC countries against a global environment marked by geopolitical tensions, changing trade and investment patterns, technological transformation, and continued uncertainty. This edition adopts a renewed and more integrated structure, bringing together economic performance and structural change, macroeconomic stability, external linkages and financing conditions while giving greater attention to differences across income groups and individual OIC countries.

According to the report, the combined GDP of OIC countries reached US$10.04 trillion in 2025, equivalent to 8.5% of world GDP at current prices and 15.0% in purchasing power parity terms. OIC economies grew by 4.1% in 2025, compared with global growth of 3.5%, continuing to outperform the world economy for the fourth consecutive year. Their productive structures have also continued to evolve, with manufacturing and services gaining importance, although the pace and direction of structural transformation vary considerably across Member States.

The report also highlights notable developments in trade and investment. Merchandise exports returned to growth in 2025, increasing by 5.9% to US$2.64 trillion after declining in the previous two years, although the OIC share of world exports eased to 10.3%. Intra-OIC merchandise trade rose by 8.2% to a record US$555 billion, raising its share in total OIC trade to 20.1%. Foreign direct investment inflows reached US$220 billion; following the strong increase recorded in 2024, growth moderated in 2025 and the OIC share of global inflows stood at 13.5%, compared with 8.3% in 2021.

At the same time, the Outlook points to important challenges. A rapidly expanding labour force increases the need for productive employment and skills development, while inflation, fiscal conditions, and external vulnerabilities remain highly uneven across Member States. Recent geopolitical developments have added uncertainty through their potential effects on energy and commodity markets, major transport routes, trade, investment and financing conditions, with the implications differing according to countries’ economic structures and external linkages.

Against this background, the report underlines the importance of strengthening productive capacity and economic diversification, expanding productive employment and skills, maintaining macroeconomic stability, deepening trade and investment linkages both globally and within the OIC, promoting quality investment, and strengthening sound external financing and debt management. Greater economic cooperation among OIC countries can complement national efforts by drawing more effectively on the considerable diversity, resources and complementarities across the membership.

The OIC Economic Outlook, one of SESRIC’s flagship annual publications, supports informed policy dialogue on world economic developments and their implications for OIC Member States and is regularly submitted to the annual Ministerial Sessions of the COMCEC.

Online Electronic Version

• OIC Economic Outlook 2026: Navigating Growth, Transformation and Global Uncertainty  (English) (Arabic) (French)