Global economic growth prospects are holding strong for this year and next, despite a significant majority of economists in Reuters polls warning that new variants of the coronavirus pose the biggest risk to that outlook.

A global survey of nearly 500 economists taken this month also concluded that recent rising inflation in key economies around the world would be transitory.

The global economy was now forecast to expand a sizzling 6.0% this year, which would be its fastest in nearly half a century, followed by a still-robust 4.5% in 2022. Both were marginal increases from the April poll.