Deflation

China's economy expanded far more than expected in the first quarter of 2024, data showed Tuesday, but disappointing retail and industrial figures suggested leaders face severe headwinds to hit their annual growth target.

A declines in price hikes in food and energy, but increases in all other items – Northern European countries experienced minimal inflation or even deflation

Chinese consumer prices rose in February for the first time since August, data showed on March 9, bucking a months-long stretch of deflation that compounded the country's myriad economic woes.

The world's second-largest economy posted some of its lowest growth in decades last year and is battling a prolonged property sector crisis and soaring youth unemployment.

Greeks remain inflexible on food spending since, despite the reduction in disposable income due to constant price hikes, the expected reduction in sales volume, which would probably also work in the direction of deflation, has not happened.

Annual inflation in Bulgaria slowed down in October to 5.8% from 6.3% a month earlier, according to the data of the National Statistical Institute (NSI). This is the lowest inflation in the country since September 2021.

Since the beginning of the year (October 2023 vs. October 2022), inflation is 4.1 percent.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced a stimulus package worth more than $100 billion yesterday as he tries to ease the squeeze from inflation and rescue his premiership with his poll ratings at a record low.

China slipped into deflation for the first time in more than two years in July, official data showed yesterday, as slowing domestic spending weighs on the post-COVID economic recovery.

The reading comes a day after news that the country suffered its biggest fall in exports since the early days of the pandemic, while imports tanked again as domestic and global demand fall away.

For June, inflation in Bulgaria decreased to 8.7 percent compared to a year earlier and for the month a deflation of minus 0.4 percent was reported, i.e. prices decrease compared to the month of May. This is the second time this has happened since the beginning of this year.

For the first time in the last two years, the National Statistical Institute reported deflation. It is only 0.1% in May compared to April. For the last time, and only once in June, deflation was reported in June 2021.

On an annual basis, however, inflation remains in double digits and is 10.1%. Food prices continue to rise.

China's economic data for April missed expectations last month, official figures showed yesterday, as low demand and high youth unemployment led to a patchy recovery after lifting strict COVID rules.    

Retail sales - a key indicator of domestic consumer activity -- grew 18.4 percent on-year, data released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed.