Prepared by the Policy Wing of the IMF African Department, and published twice a year in English and French, this report analyzes economic performance and short-term prospects of the 44 countries covered by the Department. Topics examined in recent volumes include responses to exogenous shocks, growth performance and growth-enhancing policies, the effectiveness of regional trade arrangements, macroeconomic implications of scaled-up aid, financial sector development, and fiscal decentralization. Detailed country data, grouped by oil-exporting and -importing countries and other analytical groupings as well as by subregion, are provided in a statistical appendix, and a list of relevant publications by the African Department is included.

The report provides a broad synopsis of recent economic developments and prospects in the countries covered by the IMF's Middle East and Central Asia Department.

This report gives the IMF's view of the outlook for Asia, identifies the main risks to growth, and considers the key factors that will influence capital inflows. The REO also discusses short-run macroeconomic policy issues for the region, as well as longer-term challenges, including the need to raise consumption and rebalance growth, develop further regional financial and capital markets, and address growing income inequality.