BISHKEK, March 22 (Xinhua) -- The International Monetary Fund (IMF) predicted the Kyrgyz economy would grow by 3.8 percent in 2019, the organization's Resident Representative Office in Kyrgyzstan reported on Friday.

"The economy of the Kyrgyz Republic grew by 3.5 percent in 2018, benefiting from a stable regional environment," the IMF said in a press release.

Kyrgyzstan saw an inflation "at 1.5 percent on average" in 2018, and "a moderate fiscal deficit of 1.3 percent of GDP (gross domestic product) for 2018," it said.

"In 2019, the economy is expected to grow by 3.8 percent, average inflation to reach 2.2 percent, the fiscal deficit to increase to 3.4 percent of GDP and gross foreign exchange reserves to reach the still comfortable level of 3.7 months of imports of goods and services," it said.