The last few months have been characterised by a wave of social unrest, most notably in Turkey and Brazil. The scale and nature of the protests have varied, but there have been some common threads including high youth unemployment. It’s impossible to generalise the economic impact of social unrest, as it depends on the structure of the economy, the length of time the unrest continues and its depth and breadth. The outcome for any country experiencing prolonged unrest and political instability is complicated by the current weak external environment.