International Economic Indicators: Investor Reference

What do International Economic Indicators have in common?

The hub applies one set of macro questions to twelve economies: Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, the euro area, India, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, South Korea, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. Each series comes from the authority that produces it at home, such as a national statistics office, a customs service or the central bank. Each economy also has its own country hub inside the international section, which groups its series in one place.

Policy rates are the most compact group. Every economy has one: the RBA Cash Rate, Brazil Selic Rate, Bank of Canada Policy Rate, BOJ Policy Rate, Banxico Policy Rate, RBI Repo Rate, RBNZ Official Cash Rate, BOK Base Rate, SNB Policy Rate and Bank of England Bank Rate. The euro area has two, the ECB Deposit Rate and the ECB MRO Rate, and China's benchmark is the China Loan Prime Rate. These change at decision meetings, so the series move irregularly.

Price indicators come in layers. Each economy publishes headline consumer inflation, and many add an underlying measure whose construction varies: Australia Trimmed Mean CPI, Canada Trimmed CPI, Euro Area Core Inflation, Japan Core CPI, Mexico Core CPI and UK Core CPI. Producer and wholesale prices (Canada IPPI, China PPI, Euro Area PPI, India WPI) and pay series (Australia Wage Price Index, UK Wage Growth, Euro Area Labor Costs) describe costs earlier in the chain.

The rest cover the real economy and finance: GDP, industrial production, retail sales, unemployment and employment, trade balances, and money and credit aggregates such as China M2, Euro Area M3, India M3 and UK M4. Survey series include the China Manufacturing PMI, the Tankan Survey and consumer confidence measures for the euro area, Mexico and South Korea. Read together, they describe growth, prices, labor and policy for one economy at a time.

How do you choose among International Economic Indicators?

• For a monetary-policy question, start with the country's CPI and policy rate, then look at its core or trimmed inflation measure to see the underlying trend.
• For overall output, use the country's GDP, which is the broadest measure but quarterly and slower. Industrial production and retail sales are monthly and timelier.
• For the labor market, pair the unemployment rate with an employment change or wage series such as Australia Wage Price Index or UK Wage Growth.
• For external demand, use the trade balance. South Korea Exports is a narrower goods-export-only series that isolates the sales side.
• For money and credit, compare an aggregate with its own history. M2, M3 and M4 are defined differently by each central bank, so levels and growth rates are not like-for-like across countries.
• When comparing countries, use the same type of series and read the definition notes on each page, because headline names hide differences in coverage.

International Economic Indicators at a glance

Indicator	Geography	What it measures	Published by	Frequency
Australia Building Approvals	Australia	approvals for new dwellings and other building work in Australia	Australian Bureau of Statistics	Monthly
Australia CPI	Australia	consumer price inflation in Australia	Australian Bureau of Statistics	Monthly
Australia Employment Change	Australia	the monthly change in the number of employed people in Australia	Australian Bureau of Statistics	Monthly
Australia GDP	Australia	inflation-adjusted output of the Australian economy	Australian Bureau of Statistics	Quarterly
Australia Retail Sales	Australia	household spending in Australia	Australian Bureau of Statistics	Monthly
Australia Trade Balance	Australia	the gap between the value of Australia's goods exports and goods imports	Australian Bureau of Statistics	Monthly
Australia Trimmed Mean CPI	Australia	underlying consumer price inflation in Australia	Australian Bureau of Statistics	Monthly
Australia Unemployment	Australia	the share of Australia's labor force without work and seeking it	Australian Bureau of Statistics	Monthly
Australia Wage Price Index	Australia	changes in hourly pay rates for a fixed set of Australian jobs	Australian Bureau of Statistics	Quarterly
RBA Cash Rate	Australia	the Reserve Bank of Australia's target for the overnight interbank cash rate	Reserve Bank of Australia	Irregular
Brazil Credit Growth	Brazil	growth in the outstanding stock of bank credit in Brazil	Banco Central do Brasil	Monthly
Brazil Economic Activity Index	Brazil	a monthly estimate of overall economic activity in Brazil	Banco Central do Brasil	Monthly
Brazil GDP	Brazil	inflation-adjusted output of the Brazilian economy	Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics	Quarterly
Brazil Industrial Production	Brazil	the physical volume of manufacturing and extractive output in Brazil	Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics	Monthly
Brazil Inflation	Brazil	consumer price inflation in Brazil	Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics	Monthly
Brazil Retail Sales	Brazil	the volume of goods sold by Brazilian retailers	Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics	Monthly
Brazil Selic Rate	Brazil	the target for Brazil's overnight policy interest rate	Banco Central do Brasil	Irregular
Brazil Trade Balance	Brazil	the gap between Brazil's merchandise exports and imports	Ministry of Development, Industry, Trade and Services of Brazil	Monthly
Brazil Unemployment	Brazil	the share of Brazil's labor force without work and seeking it	Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics	Monthly
Bank of Canada Policy Rate	Canada	the Bank of Canada's target for the overnight rate	Bank of Canada	Irregular
Canada CPI	Canada	consumer price inflation in Canada	Statistics Canada	Monthly
Canada Employment Change	Canada	the monthly change in the number of employed people in Canada	Statistics Canada	Monthly
Canada GDP	Canada	inflation-adjusted output of the Canadian economy	Statistics Canada	Quarterly
Canada IPPI	Canada	prices received by Canadian manufacturers for their output	Statistics Canada	Monthly
Canada Retail Sales	Canada	monthly sales at Canadian retailers	Statistics Canada	Monthly
Canada Trade Balance	Canada	the gap between Canada's merchandise exports and imports	Statistics Canada	Monthly
Canada Trimmed CPI	Canada	underlying consumer price inflation in Canada with the most extreme price moves removed	Bank of Canada	Monthly
Canada Unemployment	Canada	the share of Canada's labour force that is unemployed	Statistics Canada	Monthly
China CPI	China	consumer price inflation in China	National Bureau of Statistics of China	Monthly
China Fixed Asset Investment	China	investment in fixed assets such as property, infrastructure and factories in China	National Bureau of Statistics of China	Monthly
China GDP	China	real economic output growth in China	National Bureau of Statistics of China	Quarterly
China Industrial Production	China	the real output of Chinese industry above a designated size	National Bureau of Statistics of China	Monthly
China Loan Prime Rate	China	the benchmark price of new bank loans in China	People's Bank of China	Monthly
China M2	China	the broad money supply in China	People's Bank of China	Monthly
China Manufacturing PMI	China	manufacturing activity in China from a monthly business survey	National Bureau of Statistics of China	Monthly
China PPI	China	factory-gate price changes for Chinese industrial products	National Bureau of Statistics of China	Monthly
China Retail Sales	China	consumer spending at retail businesses in China	National Bureau of Statistics of China	Monthly
China Total Social Financing	China	total financing raised by the real economy in China	People's Bank of China	Monthly
China Trade Balance	China	the gap between China's goods exports and imports	General Administration of Customs of China	Monthly
China Urban Unemployment	China	the share of the urban labour force without work in China	National Bureau of Statistics of China	Monthly
ECB Deposit Rate	Euro Area	the interest rate banks earn on overnight deposits at the European Central Bank	European Central Bank	Irregular
ECB MRO Rate	Euro Area	the rate at which euro area banks borrow from the central bank for one week	European Central Bank	Irregular
Euro Area Consumer Confidence	Euro Area	household sentiment about finances, the economy and jobs in the euro area	European Commission	Monthly
Euro Area Core Inflation	Euro Area	underlying consumer price inflation in the euro area	Eurostat	Monthly
Euro Area GDP	Euro Area	real economic output growth in the euro area	Eurostat	Quarterly
Euro Area Industrial Production	Euro Area	real industrial output in the euro area	Eurostat	Monthly
Euro Area Inflation	Euro Area	consumer price inflation in the euro area	Eurostat	Monthly
Euro Area Labor Costs	Euro Area	hourly labour costs for employers in the euro area	Eurostat	Quarterly
Euro Area M3	Euro Area	broad money held by euro area residents	European Central Bank	Monthly
Euro Area PPI	Euro Area	prices received by euro area industrial producers	Eurostat	Monthly
Euro Area Retail Sales	Euro Area	the volume of goods sold by euro area retailers	Eurostat	Monthly
Euro Area Trade Balance	Euro Area	the gap between euro area goods exports and imports with the rest of the world	Eurostat	Monthly
Euro Area Unemployment	Euro Area	the share of the euro area labour force that is unemployed	Eurostat	Monthly
India Bank Credit Growth	India	the growth of outstanding bank loans in India	Reserve Bank of India	Twice monthly
India CPI	India	consumer price inflation in India	Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation	Monthly
India GDP	India	the inflation-adjusted output of the Indian economy	Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation	Quarterly
India IIP	India	the volume of industrial output in India	Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation	Monthly
India M3	India	the broad money stock in India	Reserve Bank of India	Twice monthly
India Trade Balance	India	the gap between India's goods exports and imports	Ministry of Commerce and Industry	Monthly
India Unemployment	India	the share of India's labour force that is unemployed	Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation	Monthly
India WPI	India	wholesale price inflation in India	Ministry of Commerce and Industry	Monthly
RBI Repo Rate	India	the Reserve Bank of India's policy rate for short term lending to banks	Reserve Bank of India	Irregular
BOJ Policy Rate	Japan	the Bank of Japan's target for the uncollateralised overnight call rate	Bank of Japan	Irregular
Japan Core CPI	Japan	consumer price inflation in Japan excluding fresh food	Statistics Bureau of Japan	Monthly
Japan CPI	Japan	consumer price inflation in Japan	Statistics Bureau of Japan	Monthly
Japan GDP	Japan	the inflation-adjusted output of the Japanese economy	Cabinet Office of Japan	Quarterly
Japan Industrial Production	Japan	the volume of industrial output in Japan	Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry	Monthly
Japan Jobs-to-Applicants Ratio	Japan	the number of job openings per job seeker in Japan	Japan Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare	Monthly
Japan Retail Sales	Japan	the value of retail sales at Japanese stores	Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry	Monthly
Japan Trade Balance	Japan	the gap between Japan's merchandise exports and imports	Ministry of Finance of Japan	Monthly
Japan Unemployment	Japan	the share of Japan's labour force without work and seeking it	Statistics Bureau of Japan	Monthly
Tankan Survey	Japan	business sentiment among large Japanese manufacturers	Bank of Japan	Quarterly
Banxico Policy Rate	Mexico	the overnight interbank rate target set by the Bank of Mexico	Banco de Mexico	Irregular
Mexico Consumer Confidence	Mexico	how confident Mexican households are about their finances and the economy	National Institute of Statistics and Geography of Mexico	Monthly
Mexico Core CPI	Mexico	underlying consumer price inflation in Mexico	National Institute of Statistics and Geography of Mexico	Twice monthly
Mexico CPI	Mexico	consumer price inflation in Mexico	National Institute of Statistics and Geography of Mexico	Twice monthly
Mexico GDP	Mexico	the inflation-adjusted output of the Mexican economy	National Institute of Statistics and Geography of Mexico	Quarterly
Mexico Industrial Production	Mexico	monthly output across Mexican industry	National Institute of Statistics and Geography of Mexico	Monthly
Mexico Remittances	Mexico	money sent home by Mexicans working abroad	Banco de Mexico	Monthly
Mexico Retail Sales	Mexico	the volume of retail sales in Mexico	National Institute of Statistics and Geography of Mexico	Monthly
Mexico Trade Balance	Mexico	the gap between Mexico's merchandise exports and imports	National Institute of Statistics and Geography of Mexico	Monthly
Mexico Unemployment	Mexico	the share of Mexico's labour force without work and seeking it	National Institute of Statistics and Geography of Mexico	Monthly
New Zealand CPI	New Zealand	consumer price inflation in New Zealand	Stats NZ	Quarterly
New Zealand Employment	New Zealand	quarterly change in the number of people employed in New Zealand	Stats NZ	Quarterly
New Zealand GDP	New Zealand	the inflation-adjusted output of the New Zealand economy	Stats NZ	Quarterly
New Zealand Net Migration	New Zealand	the net inflow of people into New Zealand	Stats NZ	Monthly
New Zealand Retail Sales	New Zealand	the volume of retail sales in New Zealand	Stats NZ	Quarterly
New Zealand Trade Balance	New Zealand	the gap between New Zealand's merchandise exports and imports	Stats NZ	Monthly
New Zealand Unemployment	New Zealand	the share of New Zealand's labour force without work and seeking it	Stats NZ	Quarterly
RBNZ Official Cash Rate	New Zealand	the main policy interest rate set by the Reserve Bank of New Zealand	Reserve Bank of New Zealand	Irregular
BOK Base Rate	South Korea	the main policy interest rate set by the Bank of Korea	Bank of Korea	Irregular
South Korea Consumer Sentiment	South Korea	how confident South Korean households are about the economy and their finances	Bank of Korea	Monthly
South Korea CPI	South Korea	consumer price inflation in South Korea	Ministry of Data and Statistics of South Korea	Monthly
South Korea Employment	South Korea	the change in the number of employed people in South Korea	Ministry of Data and Statistics of South Korea	Monthly
South Korea Exports	South Korea	the value of goods exported from South Korea	Korea Customs Service	Monthly
South Korea GDP	South Korea	the inflation-adjusted output of the South Korean economy	Bank of Korea	Quarterly
South Korea Industrial Production	South Korea	monthly output from South Korean factories, mines and utilities	Ministry of Data and Statistics of South Korea	Monthly
South Korea Retail Sales	South Korea	the volume of retail sales in South Korea	Ministry of Data and Statistics of South Korea	Monthly
South Korea Trade Balance	South Korea	the gap between South Korea's merchandise exports and imports	Korea Customs Service	Monthly
South Korea Unemployment	South Korea	the share of the South Korean labor force that is unemployed	Ministry of Data and Statistics of South Korea	Monthly
SNB Policy Rate	Switzerland	the Swiss National Bank's benchmark interest rate	Swiss National Bank	Irregular
Switzerland CPI	Switzerland	consumer price inflation in Switzerland	Swiss Federal Statistical Office	Monthly
Switzerland GDP	Switzerland	inflation-adjusted output of the Swiss economy	State Secretariat for Economic Affairs	Quarterly
Switzerland Industrial Production	Switzerland	real output of industrial companies in Switzerland	Swiss Federal Statistical Office	Quarterly
Switzerland Retail Sales	Switzerland	retail turnover in Switzerland	Swiss Federal Statistical Office	Monthly
Switzerland Trade Balance	Switzerland	the balance between Swiss goods exports and imports	Federal Office for Customs and Border Security	Monthly
Switzerland Unemployment	Switzerland	the share of the Swiss labor force registered as unemployed	State Secretariat for Economic Affairs	Monthly
Bank of England Bank Rate	United Kingdom	the Bank of England's official policy interest rate	Bank of England	Irregular
UK Core CPI	United Kingdom	underlying consumer price inflation in the United Kingdom excluding energy, food, alcohol and tobacco	Office for National Statistics	Monthly
UK CPI	United Kingdom	consumer price inflation in the United Kingdom	Office for National Statistics	Monthly
UK GDP	United Kingdom	inflation-adjusted output of the UK economy	Office for National Statistics	Monthly
UK Industrial Production	United Kingdom	real output of UK production industries	Office for National Statistics	Monthly
UK M4	United Kingdom	broad money held by the UK private sector	Bank of England	Monthly
UK Retail Sales	United Kingdom	the volume of retail sales in the United Kingdom	Office for National Statistics	Monthly
UK Trade Balance	United Kingdom	the balance between UK exports and imports of goods and services	Office for National Statistics	Monthly
UK Unemployment	United Kingdom	the share of the UK labor force that is unemployed	Office for National Statistics	Monthly
UK Wage Growth	United Kingdom	annual growth in average weekly earnings in the United Kingdom	Office for National Statistics	Monthly

117 indicator pages are listed. Each row comes from the same source file as the page it links, so the publisher and frequency here match that page.

What limits do International Economic Indicators share?

Cross-country comparison needs care. Unemployment definitions, the items excluded from core inflation, base years and seasonal adjustment methods all differ between agencies. Many countries report GDP growth quarter on quarter while the United States annualizes it, so the rates are not directly comparable. Release frequency also varies, with some countries publishing inflation or employment quarterly and others monthly, and revisions can be large for early estimates. Euro area aggregates depend on which members are included, and values are in local currency units.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which international indicators should I start with for a country?

Start with consumer price inflation, GDP, the unemployment rate and the central bank policy rate. Together they describe how prices, output, jobs and monetary policy are behaving. Trade, retail sales and surveys add detail on demand and sentiment.

Why do countries publish different versions of core inflation?

Each statistics office or central bank chooses its own way of removing noise. Some measures exclude items such as food and energy, some drop only fresh food, and others trim the largest price changes in each period, so the labels are similar but the methods are not.

Can I compare unemployment rates across countries directly?

Only loosely. Countries use different survey methods, age ranges and definitions of who is unemployed, and some report registered unemployment rather than a survey measure. Comparing a country's rate with its own history is more reliable.

How often are international indicators published?

Most price, labor, trade and activity series are monthly. GDP is usually quarterly, with some countries publishing a monthly estimate. Central bank policy rates change only at decision meetings, and a few economies publish inflation or employment quarterly.

What is the difference between the ECB Deposit Rate and the ECB MRO Rate?

The ECB Deposit Rate is the rate banks earn on overnight deposits at the European Central Bank. The ECB MRO Rate is the rate at which euro area banks borrow from the central bank for one week. They are separate policy rates with separate roles.