ZAGREB (Croatia), October 11 (SeeNews) - Raiffeisen Bank International (RBI) said it has raised its forecast for Slovenia's economic growth to 4.8% in 2017, from 4.6% predicted earlier.

RBI has also lifted its 2018 economic growth forecast for Slovenia to 3.5% from 3.3%, and predicted growth of 2.6% in 2019.

Slovenia is expected to swing to inflation of 1.6% this year from 0.2% deflation last year, RBI said in its latest Central and Eastern European Strategy report.

In 2018, inflation in Slovenia is forecast to accelerate to 2.1%, before speeding up further to 2.4% in 2019.

Slovenia's current account surplus is expected to decrease to 5.0% of GDP in 2017, from 5.2% in 2016. The decline is expected to continue to 2017 and 2018, when the current account surplus will be equivalent to 4.8% and 4.6% of GDP, respectively.

The general government's deficit is expected to fall to 1.3% of GDP this year, from 1.8% last year, and decrease further to 1.1% in 2018. A year later, Slovenia should see a general government deficit of 1.0%.

Public debt is projected to keep decreasing from 79.7% of the GDP in 2016 to 75.4% in 2017, 73.5% in 2018 and 71.2% in 2019.

Slovenia's GDP expanded by 3.1% last year, according to RBI.