Euro Area
Euro Area
Real Gross Domestic Product
Euro Area Gross Domestic Product, chained 2010 prices, 12-month % change, SA, updates quarterly
Real Gross Domestic Product measures the change in the inflation-adjusted value of all goods and services produced in the economy. It comprises private consumption and investment, inventory buildup, government spending and net exports. Markets watch this indicator to gauge the strength and composition of growth.
Euro Area
Unemployment Rate
Euro Area Unemployment Rate, All Persons, %, SA, Updates Monthly
The Unemployment Rate measures the percentage of the labor force currently not working but actively seeking employment. Markets monitor the unemployment rate to assess the cyclical health of the economy and the likelihood that wage demands may increase inflationary pressures.
Euro Area
Consumer Price Index
Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices, All Items, Core (All Items excluding energy, food, alcohol and tobacco), annual change, %, SA, updates monthly
The Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices is a measure of the change over time in the average prices paid by consumers for a market basket of consumer goods and services. It is calculated using the same methodology across members of the European Union. As the most widely used measure of inflation, changes in the index are closely followed by policymakers, financial markets, businesses, and consumers. Eurostat reports both an ‘All Items’ number that includes all categories in the calculation basket, and a ‘Core’ number that strips out highly volatile energy, food, alcohol, and tobacco prices.
Euro Area
Trade Balance
Goods trade balance, billions EUR, seasonally and working day adjusted, updates monthly
Measures the difference in value between imported and exported goods over the reported period. A positive number indicates that more goods were exported than imported – generating a trade surplus – and a negative number indicates a deficit. Trade imbalances may reflect fleeting differences in growth rates or more permanent factors in the composition of growth or the endowment and price of natural resources.
Euro Area
Key Policy Rates
Main Refinancing Operations, Marginal Lending Facility, Deposit Facility Rates, %, updates daily
The European Central Bank targets three rates to influence monetary variables in the economy: the Main Refinancing Operations rate which helps determine the cost of liquidity in the banking system, the Deposit Facility rate, at which banks make overnight deposits within the Eurosystem, and the Marginal Lending Facility rate, which determines the cost of overnight credit to banks in the Eurosystem. The Bank reviews its policy rates every six weeks.
Euro Area
Money Supply Growth
M3 Money Supply, adjusted loans to households, adjusted loans to non-financial corporations, 12-month % change, NSA, updates monthly
M3 Money Supply is a measure of currency that includes cash, checking deposits, non-cash assets that can easily be converted into cash, repurchase agreements, money market fund shares, and debt securities with a maturity of up to two years. The annual growth rate of adjusted loans to the private sector helps quantify spending and investment levels, providing insight into the health of the underlying economy. These data series are used to assess monetary developments and the effects of monetary policy, as well as to monitor financial stability.
Euro Area
Central Bank Assets
European Central Bank total assets, billions EUR, updates weekly
The European Central Bank balance sheet is a consolidated financial statement that shows the assets and liabilities of the Eurosystem national central banks and the European Central Bank itself. The system’s assets consist primarily of government bonds issued by Euro Area member states, corporate debt, and securitized mortgage debt. Its liabilities are mostly currency in circulation, commercial bank reserves, and collateralized reverse repurchase agreements. The balance sheet is used to influence interest rates – when officials want to stimulate the economy, it expands, and when they wish to tighten financial conditions, it shrinks.
Euro Area
Debt Ratios
Credit to general government, non-financial corporate, and household sectors, % of gross domestic product at market value, updates quarterly
Aggregate debt ratios measure the total borrowing of the general government, non-financial corporate, and household sectors, expressed as a share of gross domestic product. Total debt is followed by investors as a gauge of the vulnerability of an economy to financial shocks. An overly fast pace of debt growth is also frequently associated with a buildup of unproductive investment and excessively high asset valuations.
Euro Area
Net International Investment Position
Net International Investment Position, billions USD, updates quarterly
The net international investment position is the difference between the external financial assets and liabilities of a nation. A nation with a positive position is a creditor nation and is generally considered a safe haven in financial markets. A nation with a negative position is a debtor nation, with deeper balance of payments vulnerabilities.
Euro Area
Currency Reserves
Official reserve assets, foreign currency reserves (in convertible foreign currencies), billions USD, updates monthly
Currency reserves are external holdings that are freely usable for settlement of international transactions, and are readily available to and controlled by monetary authorities for meeting balance of payments financing needs, for intervention in currency markets to affect exchange rates, and for other related purposes. Developed markets with widely used, freely tradeable international currencies typically provide reserve assets rather than engaging in reserve accumulation.
Latest Analysis
Latest Analysis
In the eye of the storm?
15 April, 2025
• Calmer markets. European equities rose, while US markets gave back initial gains. EUR lost a bit of ground. AUD & NZD edged higher.• Tariff news. Tariff-related developments somewhat negative. EU/US...
USD remains under pressure
13 April, 2025
• Upbeat tone. US equities rose on Friday, so did commodities. This, & the decline in the USD helped the AUD & NZD extend their upswings.• Tariff news. US announced various electronics imported...
Extreme Turbulence Grips Global Markets
11 April, 2025
Measures of financial stress are easing this morning after an absolutely wild night in global markets. The dollar is consolidating its losses after enduring something resembling a “flash crash” as Asian...
Made in America
10 April, 2025
• Risk wobbles. Concerns about a US-China trade war remain. US equities slipped back & the USD lost ground. AUD & NZD pushed higher.• Tariff impacts. US’ effective tariff rate is still very...
Relief Rally Runs Out of Steam Despite Tame US Inflation Data
10 April, 2025
Stock-index futures are edging lower and the dollar is weakening once more as the initial optimism sparked by yesterday’s tariff reversal yields to a more measured assessment of the risks still facing...
Volatility Soars As Global Trade War Escalates
09 April, 2025
Volatility continues to sweep across asset classes after the Trump administration’s “reciprocal” and retaliatory tariffs took effect last night, ratcheting American import taxes up to levels last seen...
Wild market swings continue
08 April, 2025
• Volatility. Tariff news continues to generate volatility. US equities unwound early gains to end the day lower. AUD & NZD followed. CNH also weaker.• Tariff news. While there were signals about deals...
Markets Stabilise As Tariff Negotiation Hopes Rise
08 April, 2025
The dust is settling after a tumultuous Monday in financial markets. North American equity markets are setting up for a modestly-positive open, benchmark ten-year Treasury yields are pushing above the...
Global risks don't equate to a crisis
08 April, 2025
Last week’s ‘reciprocal tariff’ announcements by the US, and subsequent retaliation last Friday by China, has caused a fair degree of market upheaval. Given the broad-based and outsized tariffs imposed...
Volatility continues
07 April, 2025
• Market swings. Tariff headlines generated more vol. overnight. S&P500 traded in a ~8.5% range. AUD still tracking at levels last seen during COVID.• Negative vibes. Tariffs will slow US/global growth....