From record trade flows and rapid advances in artificial intelligence to slowing investment and mounting debt pressures, 2025 sent strong and often contradictory signals about the state of the global economy.
- Where attention converged: UN Trade and Development’s most-read stories reveal the issues that dominated global debate in 2025.
- How forces played out: Together, they trace how trade, investment, finance and technology evolved over the year — and how those forces reshaped the global economy.
- What comes next: Read as a whole, they point to the challenges ahead and the choices that will define 2026.
1. AI market projected to hit $4.8 trillion by 2033, emerging as dominant frontier technology
Published on 07 April 2025 | AI’s rapid rise risks deepening divides, with development concentrated in major economies and firms. Strategic investment and inclusive global governance are key to ensuring its benefits are widely shared.
2. Shipping data: UNCTAD releases new seaborne trade statistics
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Published on 23 April 2025 | Maritime transport moves over 80% of goods traded worldwide. Country-level seaborne trade data is vital for shaping better transport, trade and investment policies.
3. Global trade hits record $33 trillion in 2024, driven by services and developing economies
Published on 14 March 2025 | But momentum slowed in the second half of the year, and uncertainty looms for 2025 as shifting policies reshape the global landscape.
4. Global foreign direct investment falls for the second consecutive year, posing acute challenges to developing countries
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Published on 19 June 2025 | UN Trade and Development alerts that uncertainty is affecting global investment and warns of the impact insufficient financing has on developing countries to achieve the 2030 Agenda.
5. Africa: Foreign investment hit record high in 2024
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Published on 19 June 2025 | Foreign investment in Africa surged by 75% to reach an all-time high of $97 billion in 2024, bolstered by liberalization and facilitation efforts across the continent.
6. Foreign investment in developing economies fell 2% in 2024, marking second year of decline
Published on 30 January 2025 | A sharp drop in international project finance raises concerns about sustainable development funding and highlights the need for countries to diversify strategies to attract and sustain investment.
7. Foreign investments: Diverging trends amid global challenges
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Published on 20 January 2025 | Foreign direct investment was down by an estimated 8% in 2024, challenging progress on the Sustainable Development Goals that heavily rely on international project finance.
8. Global economy under pressure could slow to 2.3%, signals UN Trade and Development
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Published on 16 April 2025 | Stronger policy coordination and regional trade are urgently needed, with the world economy on a recessionary trajectory, driven by escalating trade tensions and persistent uncertainty.
9. Debt crisis: Developing countries’ external debt hits record $11.4 trillion
Published on 17 March 2025 | Soaring interest payments are squeezing budgets, forcing governments to choose between repaying creditors and funding essential services.
10. Global trade grew $300 billion in the first half of 2025, led by US imports and EU export
Published on 08 July 2025 | But persistent policy uncertainty, geopolitical tensions and signs of slowing global growth pose risks for trade in the second half of the year.