IMF predicts stable growth in Dutch economy

The International Monetary Fund expects that the Dutch economy will show the same growth in 2016 and 2017 that it did last year, according to a report released on Thursday, news wire ANP reports.

The fund speaks of a modest economic recovery, with domestic demand getting stronger. It does, however, warn that the risk of setbacks remains high, partly due to the large flow of asylum seekers to the Netherlands and the uncertain effects of the aging population.

The IMF expects that the Dutch economy will grow by 1.9 percent this year and next year. Unemployment will drop from 6.9 percent to an estimated 6.6 percent in 2016 and then remain stable in 2017. The general government deficit is expected to amount to 1.7 percent of gross domestic product in 2017, compared to 2.2 percent in 2015.