rates
NORTH AMERICAN HAWKS & EUROPEAN DOVES High inflation has affected nations across the globe, though to varying degrees. A mix of demand-side factors, including covid-era ultra-low interest rates, and supply-side factors including global supply chain issues were among the reasons that inflation was so ubiquitous around the world. And while all
differing rates, along with the respective decisions on when to start hiking likely had some impact on the runup in inflation in 2021 and 2022. Canada and the US both started to increase in March 2022 and the EU waited until July and the UK December. Canada and the US's inflation rates peaked in June at 8.1% and 9.1% respectively, while the EU and UK peaked later in October at 10.6% and 11.1% respectively. Canada and the US now both have higher interest rates than inflation rates, while the EU lags behind at a 3.50% interest rate and inflation of 5.3% and UK at 5.00% interest rate and 6.9% inflation rate. As we will explore later on, however, these high rates have consequences for borrowers.
central banks have had to first stimulate their economies in the face of covid, then grapple with high inflation, their methods for each vary. While Canada went to a near-zero deposit rate in 2020 at 0.25%, the US actually went to 0.00%, the UK went to 0.10%, and the EU, meanwhile, went negative to -0.50%. These
THE FIGHT AGAINST INFLATION DIFFERS BY NATION
1.8
1.65 1.45
1.6
1.4
1.2
1.0
0.8
0.66 0.73
0.6
0.4
0.2
0.0
-0.2
Jan
Feb Mar Apr May Jun
Sep Oct Nov Jul Aug Dec
Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Jan
CANADA
UNITED STATES
EUROPEAN UNION UNITED KINGDOM
SOURCE: BANK OF CANADA, US FEDERAL RESERVE, EUROPEAN CENTRAL BANK DATA: RATIO OF CENTRAL BANK DEPOSIT RATES TO ANNUAL INFLATION, SELECT ECONOMIES
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