IMF Conducts In-Person Consultation with Macao and Releases Preliminary Findings on Macroeconomic and Financial Conditions
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) Mission conducted its Article IV Consultation with the Macao Special Administrative Region (MSAR) from July 14 to 23, 2026, concluding its preliminary assessment of the MSAR’s macroeconomic and financial conditions.
In the Staff Concluding Statement of the 2026 Article IV Mission, the IMF highlighted that Macao’s economy has demonstrated resilience despite heightened global uncertainty. The IMF Mission envisages that Macao’s economy will expand by 3.3 percent this year, with the medium-term growth rate stabilising at around 3.0 percent. Meanwhile, the IMF affirmed the MSAR Government’s fiscal strength and assessed that the local financial system remains broadly resilient, with financial services becoming increasingly diversified.
The IMF Mission acknowledged the orderly progress Macao has achieved in advancing appropriate economic diversification. It underscored that harnessing the manufacturing strengths of the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin, combined with the MSAR’s close ties with Portuguese-speaking countries, will open up new opportunities for Macao’s development. Furthermore, the IMF concurred that the MSAR Government’s Guidance Fund is poised to play a catalytic role in supporting the diversification efforts of local enterprises.
Regarding policy recommendations to achieve the objectives set out in the Third Five-Year Plan for Economic and Social Development of the Macao Special Administrative Region (2026–2030), the IMF Mission outlined several directions to foster sustainable economic growth. These include optimising the business environment, enhancing public administration efficiency, advancing fiscal management, attracting and cultivating skilled talent, and leveraging digitalisation and artificial intelligence to boost productivity and expedite industrial transformation. The IMF Mission also recommended that the MSAR Government further strengthen investment in climate-adaptation infrastructure to enhance Macao’s climate resilience.
Following the release of the Concluding Statement, the IMF will publish a detailed Staff Report on the 2026 Article IV Consultation within two months. The MSAR Government expressed its sincere gratitude to the IMF Mission for its visit and thorough assessment, reaffirming its commitment to consolidating Macao’s sound fiscal and financial foundation to pursue appropriate economic diversification and high-quality development.
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N.B. Minor edits to AMCM’s statement by The Macau Post Daily
Infographic provided by AMCM last night
