- Inflation expectations revised down by 0.1 p.p. at all horizons
- Real GDP growth expectations broadly unchanged
- Unemployment rate expectations revised down
Respondents to the ECB Survey of Professional Forecasters (SPF) for the third quarter of 2019 reported point forecasts for annual HICP inflation averaging 1.3%, 1.4% and 1.5% for 2019, 2020 and 2021, respectively. These results represent downward revisions of 0.1 percentage points (p.p.) for each of those years compared with the previous (Q2 2019) survey round. Average longer-term inflation expectations (which, like all other longer-term expectations in this SPF, refer to 2024) declined from 1.8% to 1.7%.
SPF respondents’ expectations for growth in euro area real GDP averaged 1.2%, 1.3% and 1.4% for 2019, 2020 and 2021, respectively. This represents no change to the expectations for 2019 and 2021 and a downward revision of 0.1 p.p. for 2020. At 1.4%, average longer-term expectations for real GDP growth were also unchanged.
Average unemployment rate expectations were revised down by 0.2 p.p. for each of 2019, 2020 and 2021 to stand at 7.6%, 7.4% and 7.3%, respectively. The latest expectations continued to point to further falls in the unemployment rate. Expectations for the unemployment rate in the longer term were revised down to 7.3%.
