Data
Ford drives hike in car production in Romania
Romania’s automobile production increased by 7% y/y to more than 150,000 units in Q1.
Akbank launches spring syndicated loan renewals season for Turkish banks at better costs
Benefits of Turkey’s so-called economic normalisation policy clearly observed in external debt rollovers.
Ukraine's birth rate plummets to 300-year low as country’s population collapses
Ukraine’s population collapsed to 29mn souls last year, according to Ukraine Business News, with just 187,000 births recorded (including in Russian-occupied territories). This is the lowest annual figure in recorded history over the last 300 years.
Russia’s $13.4bn current account surplus in March second highest since 2007
Russia posted a $13.4bn current account surplus in March, more than double February’s $5.5bn and the second highest level for a March since 2007.
Automotive sector output in Hungary edges up 1.6% y/y in February
Headline industrial output rose 1.8% in February, increasing for the first month in about a year.
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Slovak inflation eased further to 2.3% in March
Prices in the alcohol and tobacco sector increased by 19% y/y, including the 9.1% spike in tobacco prices as a result of the new consumption tax.
Polish inflation eases further to 2% y/y in March
The inflation rate landed within the National Bank of Poland’s target of 1.5%-3.5% for a second successive month
CEE falling inflation trend comes to an end
After spiking to 20-year highs thanks to the pandemic and Europe’s Russian induced energy crisis, inflation rates across the EU have tumbled in recent months. That trend has ended and CEE central banks are expected to hike rates again in 2H24.
Hungary’s CPI edges lower, but price pressures remain in service sector
Consumer prices in Hungary rose 3.6% y/y in March, but services' prices rose almost 10%.
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Slovak industry stagnates in February
Industrial production increased by 0.4% month-on-month.
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Czech inflation stagnated at 2% in March
Consumer price indices (inflation) in Czechia remained at 2% in March, the same year-on-year growth as in February, which is the lowest inflation rate since December 2018.
Ukraine records lowest inflation in over three years
Ukraine's inflation rate dropped to its lowest level in more than three years in March 2024, marking a significant slowdown in consumer price growth, according to data released by the State Statistics Service.
Where Nato has an enhanced forward presence
On Monday, 8 April, Germany sent an advance team of 20 soldiers to Lithuania, laying the groundwork for the recently discussed establishment of a permanent brigade in the Nato country, Statista reports.
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Czech unemployment inched down to 3.9% in March
Czech has long been the country with the lowest unemployment level in the EU.
Grid bottlenecks on the way in Europe?
A new analysis by the energy think-tank Ember has found that several countries in Europe could soon face bottlenecks in their national transmission energy grids, as more solar and wind power will be generated than these networks have capacity for.
The ruble overtakes the yuan as Russia's main currency for settling international trade deals
The ruble is rising to become the main currency for settling Russia’s foreign trade payments, reducing the role of the Chinese yuan in the process, the Central Bank of Russia reported on April 8.
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Czech industrial production increased by 0.7% y/y in February
The country’s robust car sector pushed an otherwise unconvincing result into growth.
Summer starts as EU gas tanks start to fill again
Winter is over, as the EU gas tanks switch from withdrawals to filling mode again in preparation for next winter. Injection into the gas tanks started on April 1, a week earlier than in 2023 and started at an all-time high record level of 59.3% full.
Bulgaria’s retail sales up 0.9% m/m in February
Year on year, retail sales increased by 3.2%, after falling by 0.1% in January.
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Kazakhstan’s services sector sees renewed rise in activity in March, PMI shows
Anecdotal evidence points to stronger demand conditions that helped revive growth in new orders and activity.