---
title: "United Nations: The Middle East war may engulf Arab countries' economic growth in 2025"
type: "News"
locale: "en"
url: "https://longbridge.com/en/news/281302137.md"
description: "The United Nations warns that the war in the Middle East could erase the economic growth of Arab countries from last year and lead to a severe contraction of the Iranian economy. A report from the United Nations Development Programme indicates that the region's GDP is expected to decline by 3.7% to 6.0%, resulting in losses of approximately $120 billion to $194 billion, which could exceed the entire economic growth of the region by 2025. The report also shows that Iran's GDP may decline by 8.8% to 10.4%, pushing 3.5 million to 4.1 million people into poverty, with the poverty rate potentially rising to 41%"
datetime: "2026-04-01T04:40:18.000Z"
locales:
  - [zh-CN](https://longbridge.com/zh-CN/news/281302137.md)
  - [en](https://longbridge.com/en/news/281302137.md)
  - [zh-HK](https://longbridge.com/zh-HK/news/281302137.md)
---

# United Nations: The Middle East war may engulf Arab countries' economic growth in 2025

(Agence France-Presse, United Nations Headquarters, New York, 31st) The United Nations warned today that the ongoing month-long war in the Middle East could erase all economic growth of Arab countries from last year and may trigger a "severe contraction" in the Iranian economy.

As the war enters its fifth week, despite the United States claiming that negotiations are underway, all parties continue to threaten each other, prompting the United Nations Development Programme to release a series of reports.

The United Nations Development Programme pointed out that "the recent military escalation in the Middle East has exposed the structural vulnerabilities of Arab countries," and stated that the gross domestic product (GDP) of the entire region is expected to decline by approximately 3.7% to 6.0%.

This amounts to a total GDP loss of between $120 billion and $194 billion, even "exceeding the cumulative economic growth of the entire region by 2025."

The report indicated that for Iran, this war could "trigger severe economic contraction." Economic simulations show that compared to a scenario without war, "real GDP growth could decline by 8.8 to 10.4 percentage points."

The report estimates that between 3.5 million and 4.1 million people in Iran could fall below the poverty line, with the poverty rate potentially rising to 41%. (Translation by: Xu Ruicheng)

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