Consulting | 04 Sep 2017

Global Infrastructure Outlook

Macro Consulting Team

Oxford Economics

A well-functioning, modern infrastructure is central to economic development and to quality of life. From the roads and railways needed to transport people and goods, to the power plants and communications networks that underpin economic and household activity, to the basic human need for clean water and sanitation, infrastructure matters to people and businesses everywhere.

However, there have been relatively few attempts to track and monitor infrastructure investment across countries and sectors. This has made it difficult to predict how, where and when investment is most needed. 

Over the last year or so we have been working with the Global Infrastructure Hub to address this knowledge gap. Our study seeks to estimate how much the world needs to spend on infrastructure in the years to 2040, and in which countries and sectors this investment will be required. The granularity the study provides is unique: it collates data and creates forecasts for seven sectors in 50 countries, over a period of 25 years.

We estimate global infrastructure investment needs to be $94 trillion between 2016 and 2040. This is 19 percent higher than would be delivered under current trends, and is an average of $3.7 trillion per year. To meet this investment need, the world will need to increase the proportion of GDP it dedicates to infrastructure to 3.5 percent, compared to the 3.0 percent expected under current trends.

About the team

Our macro consulting team are world leaders in quantitative economic analysis, working with clients around the globe and across sectors to build models, forecast markets and evaluate interventions using state-of-the art techniques. Lead consultants on this project were:

Related Services

Post

Generating ROI with AI: Six capabilities that drive world-class results

Generative AI has taken the business world by storm, with large language models (LLMs)—including OpenAI’s ChatGPT—splashed across the news. And executives aren’t immune to the hype. AI is becoming an ever-larger component of IT budgets, with worldwide spending on AI-centric systems expected to hit $154 billion this year—up 27% over 2022. But will enterprises spend these resources wisely? Our research says yes—if organizations take a disciplined approach.

Find Out More

Post

Deep Green

A global research study that details the current state of play on environmental sustainability actions and how data, technology and collaboration will drive the next phase of sustainability in business.

Find Out More

Post

Leveraging Technology to Promote Financial Inclusion

Oxford Economics and Red Hat surveyed executives at financial institutions internationally to discover how they are using technology to expand financial inclusion while gaining business benefits.

Find Out More