Financial Crisis: IMF Key Issues

Key Issues
Financial Crisis

Global Economy Contracts, With Slow Recovery Next Year

In the most severe recession since World War II, the global economy is projected to shrink by 1.3 percent in 2009, with a slow recovery expected to take hold next year, according to the IMF’s April World Economic Outlook.

Country News

Battered by Crisis, African Growth to Fall Sharply
IMF Survey Magazine article
Hard Landing for Spain
IMF Survey Magazine article
IMF Approves $47 Billion Credit Line for Mexico
Press release

IMF Crisis Analysis

Further Action Needed to Reinforce Signs of Market Recovery: IMF
IMF Survey Magazine article
IMF: Prevent Institutions Becoming Too Connected to Fail
IMF Survey Magazine article
New Methods Aim to Identify Systemic Financial Risks
IMF Survey Magazine article

Opinion

IMF responds to foreign depositors in Icelandic banks
Letter by Iceland mission chief Mark Flanagan
The World Must Not Forget Africa During This Crisis
Op-ed by Dominique Strauss-Kahn in The National
How the Fund Can Help Save the World Economy
Op-ed by Ted Truman in Financial Times
Global Crisis: What Happened and How Can We Recover?
Podcast discussion
(Nearly) Nothing to Fear but Fear Itself
Olivier Blanchard writes in Economist Magazine

IMF Policy Papers

The State of Public Finances
IMF policy paper
The State of Public Finances (Companion Paper)
IMF policy paper
Initial Lessons of the Crisis
IMF policy paper
Lessons of the Global Crisis for Macroeconomic Policy
IMF policy paper
Lessons of the Financial Crisis for Future Regulation
IMF policy paper

Background Information

How the IMF Promotes Global Economic Stability
Factsheet
Crisis Lending and the IMF
Factsheet
IMF's Lending Conditions
Questions and answers
How the IMF Helps Resolve Balance of Payments Difficulties
Factsheet
Financial System Soundness
Factsheet
IMF Statistics Working Group on the Crisis
Principal global indicators for G-20 monitoring
OECD's Work on the Financial Crisis
Wep page overview
World Bank's Work on the Financial Crisis
Wep page overview

IMF Staff Position Notes

Coping with the Crisis: Policy Options for Emerging Market Countries
Staff position note
The Perimeter of Financial Regulation
Staff position note
Adressing Information Gaps
Staff position note
Why Has Japan Been Hit So Hard by the Global Recession
Staff position note
Financial Crises and Emerging Market Trade
Staff position note
The Case for Global Fiscal Stimulus
Staff position note
Curbing Home Foreclosures in the U.S.
Staff position note
Fiscal Policy for the Crisis
Staff position note
Gauging Risks for Deflation
Staff position note

Addressing the global financial crisis

The IMF is working hard on several fronts to help its members combat the worldwide economic and financial crisis.

The Fund is closely tracking economic and financial developments worldwide so that it can help policymakers with the latest forecasts and analysis of developments in financial markets. It is giving policy advice to countries and regions, and money to assist emerging market and low-income economies that have been hit by the crisis. And it is assisting the Group of 20 industrialized and emerging economies with recommendations to reshape the system of international regulation and governance.

This page pulls together the IMF's work on the financial crisis and includes links to key articles, documents, and background information.

Related Links

Research & Publications

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