Polish industrial production fall 2% y/y in February

Poland’s industrial production contracted 2% year on year at constant prices in February (chart), after a revised fall of 0.9% y/y the preceding month, unadjusted data from the statistical office GUS showed.

Polish PPI deflation deepens slightly in February

Poland's producer price index fell 1.3% year on year in February (chart), following a revised fall of 1% y/y in January, the country’s statistics office GUS said.

Moldova keeps base rate at 6.5% despite disappointing economic growth

Previously the BNM hiked the monetary policy rate twice since the beginning of the year to address rising inflation prompted by regulated energy prices

Slovak unemployment drops to 3.79% in February

Global cereal production grows faster than populations, says OWID

The world's population has more than doubled over the last 60 years, but global food production has managed to keep up, Our World in Data (OWID) reports.

Uzbekistan welcomes 678,700 foreign visitors in January, up 30% y/y

Country ambitious to host 12mn this year compared to 8.2mn last year.

Bulgaria’s consumer inflation speeds up to 4% in February

Consumer prices declined during 2024 but have recently started to rise with the strongest increase in restaurant and hotel prices.

Moldova’s GDP close to a standstill in 2024 due to weak agriculture

Value added generated by agriculture, accounting for 7.1% of GDP, contracted by 19% in 2024.

Polish core inflation rate eases to 3.6% y/y in February

Poland’s core inflation, an indicator that measures price growth without including prices of food and energy, eased growth to 3.6% y/y in February after a gain of 3.7% y/y the preceding month.

Number of foreign-invested companies in Uzbekistan grows by 340 in February to 15,503

China continues to extend lead in ranking of number of companies foreign investors have set up and backed in Central Asia's second largest economy. Russia second, Turkey third.

Kosovo’s economy expands by annual 4.08% in 4Q24

Strong growth reported in Kosovo's manufacturing sector, which expanded by 4.35%.

Polish inflation rate eases to 4.9%, raising hopes for faster decline to central bank target

Poland’s consumer price index grew 4.9% year on year in February, the same expansion rate as the heavily revised – due to the annual changes in the inflation basket – gain of 4.9% y/y the preceding month.

European defence industry is the global growth laggard, says Statista

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has called for increased European defence spending under the ReArm Europe plan, but Europe is trailing the other major arms producers badly.

Putin’s approval rating at 80%, trust remains high

Russian President Vladimir Putin continues to enjoy the trust of 83% of the Russian populace, according to a poll by the Public Opinion Foundation.

Hungary's automotive sector continues to struggle amid weak demand

Hungary's automotive industry, a key pillar of the country's export-driven economy, continued to show signs of strain in January, as the latest figures from the Central Statistics Office confirmed ongoing declines in production and new orders.

North Macedonia’s central bank maintains key interest rate at 5.35%

Central bank says global geopolitical uncertainties and rising protectionist policies have reinforced the need for prudence.

Hungarian government to introduce caps on supermarkets' profit margin to rein in inflation

The Hungarian government will cap retailers' profit margins on some staples at 10% from the middle of March and last until the end of May.

Slovak industry falls by a disappointing 5.2% y/y in January

Slovakia’s industrial output fell by 5.2% year on year and by 7.3% month on month, significantly deepening its mild December dip of 0.1% y/y and ending the growth period registered for much of the second half of 2024.

Moldova’s inflation eases to 8.6% y/y in February as government subsidises electricity prices

Moldova's government announced subsidies after Gazprom cut off gas supplies previously used to generate electricity.

North Macedonia’s FX reserves up 11.8% y/y at end-February

North Macedonia’s gross international reserves reach €4.861bn at end-February.