UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Responding to Middle East crises and rising oil prices, the United Nations on Tuesday lowered its forecast for global economic growth and raised the prospects for inflation this year.
U.N. economists said global GDP growth is now forecast at 2.5% for 2026, down from 2.7% in January, and they said it could fall to only 2.1% “in a more adverse scenario.”
That would be one of the weakest growth rates this century, outside of the COVID-19 pandemic and the global financial crisis of 2008, Shantanu Mukherjee, director of economic analysis in the U.N. Department of Economic and Social Affairs, said at a news conference.
On a somewhat positive note, he said, “we are not close” to a recession, but life can get harder for billions of people, and some countries may see their economies contract.
Global inflation is projected to rise to 3.9% this year, 0.8% higher than forecast in January, before the U.S. and Israel launched airstrikes on Iran. Iran responded by blocking the Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway for shipments of oil, natural gas, fertilizer and other petroleum products.
“ Increased energy prices are a potent factor, as are the prices of refinery products that are crucial to industrial production and commercial transport,” Mukherjee said.
But he stressed that not all countries will experience the same rate of inflation.
In richer developed countries, inflation is projected to rise from 2.6% in 2025 to 2.9% in 2026. In developing countries, inflation is forecast to accelerate from 4.2% to 5.2% as higher costs for energy, transportation and imported goods erode real incomes.
The impact of the Iran war has been highly uneven, with the most severe economic damage concentrated in West Asia, a region comprised of 21 Arab countries, including those in the Persian Gulf, according to the World Economic Situation and Prospects report for mid-2026.
Economic growth in the region is projected to plunge from 3.6% in 2025 to 1.4% in 2026, “driven not only by the energy shock but also by direct infrastructure damage and severe disruptions to oil production, trade and tourism.”
In Africa, average growth is projected to drop only slightly, from 4.2% last year to 3.9% this year, according to the report. And in Latin America and the Caribbean, it is forecast to slow from 2.5% to 2.3% in 2026.
In the United States, the economy is expected to remain “comparatively resilient” with 2% growth forecast this year, broadly similar to 2025, it said.
By contract, Europe “is more exposed, with heavy reliance on imported energy straining households and businesses,” the economists said. Economic growth in the European Union is expected to slow from 1.5% in 2025 to 1.1% in 2026, while growth in the United Kingdom is forecast to drop further, from 1.4% last year to 0.7% this year.
In Asia, the U.N. said China’s diversified energy mix, sizable strategic reserves and government actions are providing a buffer, so its economic growth is only expected to slow from 5% in 2025 to 4.6% this year.
India is forecast to remain one of the fastest growing major economics, with its economy expanding by 6.4% this year, although that is lower than its 7.5% growth in 2025.
“The question for China, similar to the case of India and other countries, is just how long with this conflict and the impact of the conflict last, because all these different buffers are clearly limited,” senior U.N. economist Ingo Pitterle told reporters.
The South Korean-operated vessel HMM NAMU is docked after being damaged from a fire following an explosion in the Strait of Hormuz, at a port in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Friday, May 8, 2026. (Kim Sang-hun/Yonhap via AP)
PHILADELPHIA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug 24, 2026--
As colleges and universities prepare to welcome Generation Alpha, Aramark Collegiate Hospitality is introducing new dining programs, wellness-focused residential concepts, digital enhancements, and student engagement initiatives for the 2026-2027 academic year.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260824711385/en/
"Generation Alpha's expectations are already influencing how colleges think about food, wellbeing, and community," said Barbara Flanagan, President and CEO of Aramark Collegiate Hospitality. "We have more insight into what students want than we ever have, and we are using that knowledge to make decisions well ahead of enrollment trends, not in response to them."
Aramark's May 2026 TrendScoop report profiles Generation Alpha, whose oldest members are expected to begin enrolling on U.S. campuses in Fall 2028, as one of the most food-aware and digitally connected generations yet. According to the proprietary report, which blends industry insight with Aramark Collegiate Hospitality’s campus engagement research, 88% currently eat restaurant food one to five times per week, more than 70% have tried new foods they have discovered through social media, and 75% enjoy mainstream global cuisines, behaviors already influencing how students evaluate dining experiences and helping shape Aramark's approach to the future of collegiate hospitality.
The Future of Food
To meet those evolving student preferences and to appeal to current students, Aramark Collegiate Hospitality is introducing new dining offerings that bridge Gen Z and Alpha as revealed in TrendScoop, including:
The Future of Wellbeing and Connection
To support student wellbeing, Aramark Collegiate Hospitality is looking beyond its menus. According to industry insight, about 40% of college-aged students report feeling stressed or anxious most of the time (Deloitte, 2025) and identify mindful eating as a factor in mental wellbeing (Aramark DiningStyles Survey, 2024), and nearly 20% say investment in wellness spaces would directly improve their wellbeing and academic performance (Inside Higher Ed, 2024). This tracks with a broader generational shift: nearly half of young adults say their online life is harming their wellbeing (WGSN, 2026), and Gen Z is increasingly turning to real-life, in-person connection to recharge.
Collegiate Hospitality is addressing these trends with new and expanded programming that helps students to un-plug:
The Future of Digital Engagement
Aramark Collegiate Hospitality is redefining how campus dining listens, responds, and connects with today's students through one of the most comprehensive digital feedback and engagement programs in higher education.
Anchoring this ecosystem is MyDiningHub, Aramark's redesigned, proprietary, all-in-one campus dining platform, now live across all campus partners. MyDiningHub serves as a centralized destination where students can manage meal plans, filter menus, access campus dining information, and track rewards, putting everything a student needs to make informed dining decisions in one seamless digital experience.
"This work is about making sure every student who walks into one of our dining halls feels like the experience was built for them," said Flanagan. "Our goal is to help campuses create dining programs that meet those expectations now while building for the future. Because of the insight and dedicated teams behind this work and serving our communities, we are well positioned to do exactly that."
About Aramark Collegiate Hospitality
Aramark Collegiate Hospitality —where futures are better served—has been a trusted dining partner to higher education institutions for over 50 years. Serving approximately 300 colleges and universities nationwide, Aramark delivers customized dining and hospitality programs that reflect the unique culture and needs of each campus. Rooted in a deep commitment to service for people, partners, the community, and the planet, Aramark goes beyond meals by curating tailored experiences, supporting success, and cultivating communities. Connect with Collegiate Hospitality on LinkedIn.
Aramark (NYSE: ARMK) proudly serves the world’s leading educational institutions, Fortune 500 companies, world champion sports teams, prominent healthcare providers, iconic destinations and cultural attractions, and numerous municipalities in 16 countries around the world with food and facilities management. Because of our hospitality culture, our employees strive to do great things for each other, our partners, our communities, and the planet. Learn more at www.aramark.com and connect with us on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram.
As colleges and universities prepare to welcome Generation Alpha, Aramark Collegiate Hospitality is introducing new dining programs, wellness-focused residential concepts, digital enhancements, and student engagement initiatives for the 2026-2027 academic year. "Generation Alpha's expectations are already influencing how colleges think about food, wellbeing, and community," said Barbara Flanagan, President and CEO of Aramark Collegiate Hospitality. "We have more insight into what students want than we ever have, and we are using that knowledge to make decisions well ahead of enrollment trends, not in response to them."
