Showing posts with label consumption. Show all posts
Showing posts with label consumption. Show all posts

Monday, March 23, 2020

23/3/20: Private Consumption Gets the Virus. Heads to an ICU...


Via @bkollmeyer, Deutsche Bank's Research chart on discretionary spending across the global economy:


I have no access to the primary data on this, but if the chart is true, the global economy is 'borked'. 

One notable line here is for Ireland. Ireland's economy is heavily dependent on personal consumption expenditure. Here are the latest data:
    PC as % of
    modified
    total
   demand
        PC as %          of GNI*
     1995-199958.857.6
     2000-200754.755.2
200754.156.7
     2008-201462.863.8
     2015-201859.455.4
201958.7               NA

My estimate is that 2019 Personal Consumption to GNI* ratio was around 55.2%. If true, coupled with the above-cited DB research, Irish economy has taken a nosedive of around 4 percentage points for FY 2020 just on personal consumption side of economic activity. Investment and private sector production will be the other contributors to that decline.

Wednesday, August 9, 2017

8/8/17: Did Irish Household Spending Fully Recover from the Crisis?


I have recently seen several research notes claiming that in 1Q 2017, Ireland has finally fully recovered from the shock of the Great Recession. These claims were based on consumer demand regaining its pre-crisis peak.

What do the facts tell us about this claim? That it is a half-truth.

Consider the following chart plotting consumer demand (consumer expenditure on goods and services) computed on an aggregate 4 quarters running basis. I use official CSO data for both expenditure figures and population figures. And I compute per-capita expenditure on the basis of these statistics.


In 1Q 2017, aggregate household expenditure on goods and services stood at EUR96.16 billion against pre-crisis peak of EUR94.118, using constant prices to account for official inflation. Incidentally, there is nothing new in the claim of recovery on that basis, because Irish households' aggregate spending on goods and services has surpassed pre-crisis peak in 2Q 2016.

The problem with the aggregate expenditure figure is that population changes. So the chart above also shows per-capita real expenditure, expressed in 1,000s of constant euros. Here, the matters are a bit less impressive. Per capita household expenditure on goods and services in Ireland peaked pre-crisis at EUR21,508.75. At the end of 1Q 2017, this figure was EUR 20,574.71.

There is another problem with analysts' celebrations of the 'end of the lost decade'. Aggregate household expenditure peaked (pre-crisis) in 1Q 2008, so it took 32 quarters to recover that peak. Per-capita household expenditure peaked in 2Q 2008, which means we are 35 quarters into the crisis and counting. Neither comes up to a full decade.

Finally, there is a really big problem. This one relates to what a 'recovery from the crisis' really means. In the above, we implicitly assume that a recovery from the crisis is return to pre-crisis peak. But there is a major problem with that, because our current state of life-cycle incomes, savings and debt in part reflect decisions made under the assumptions that operated back in the pre-crisis period. In other words, our income, savings, investment, career choice and debt carry a 'memory' of the times when (pre-crisis) trends did not incorporate any expectation of the crisis.

What does this mean? It means that psychologically, materially and even economically, the end of the crisis is when the economy returns to where it should have been were the pre-crisis trend extended into the present. To make this comparative more robust, we should also recognise that, in part, the pre-crisis trend should have omitted at least some of the most egregious excesses of the bubble years.

Let's do that exercise, then. Let's take pre-crisis trend in household expenditure (aggregate and per-capita) for year 3Q 2000-2004 (eliminating the explosive years of 1997-2000 and 2005-2007) and see where we are today, compared to that trend.



On trend, our aggregate personal expenditure should have been around EUR111.7 billion marker in 1Q 2017. It was EUR96.16 billion. This hardly reflects a recovery to the pre-crisis trend.

Also on trend, our per capita expenditure should have been around EUR24,140 in 1Q 2017. It was EUR20,575. This hardly reflects a recovery to the pre-crisis trend.

As some of my friends in Irish stuffbrokerages have been known to remark in private: "Shit! Damn numbers." Indeed... the recovery will have to wait... but, lads, you know you can do these calculations yourselves, right? You are paid six figure salaries and bonuses to do them. Or may be you are not. May be, you are paid six figure salaries and bonuses not to do these calculations...

Thursday, August 21, 2014

21/8/2014: Consumption of Technology: Revolutions to Evolutions


Neat, although out of date by now, chart showing long-run evolution of consumer utilisation of technology:


Click on image to enlarge...

Saturday, May 17, 2014

17/5/2014: Growth Forecasts: What Matters and What Doesn't


This is an unedited version of my Sunday Times article from April 20, 2014.



Nothing sums up frustrations of the policymakers and general public with economics as well as the famous quote from the US President, Harry S. Truman: “Give me a one-handed economist, all my economists say is ‘on the one hand …and on the other hand…”

Quips aside, human choices and activities - the fundamental forces driving all economics - are unpredictable and painfully complex to model and measure. But beyond behavioural intricacies, complex nature of modern economic systems implies that data we use in analysis is often rendered non-representative of the realities on the ground.

Take for example the concept of the national income. Economists define this as a sum of personal expenditure on consumer goods and services, net expenditure by Government on current goods and services, domestic fixed capital formation, changes in stocks and net exports of goods and services. Combined these form Gross Domestic Product or GDP. Adding Net Factor Income from the Rest of the World (profits and dividends flowing from foreign destinations into Ireland, less payments of similar outflows from Ireland) gives us Gross National Product or GNP.



All of this seems rather straightforward when it comes to an average country analysis. By and large the overall changes GDP and GNP are closely linked to other economic performance indicators, such as inflation, investment, employment and household incomes.

Alas, this is not the case for a tiny number of small open economies with significant share of international activities in their total output, such as Ireland. In such economies, both GDP and GNP can be severely skewed by tax optimisation and global rent-seeking strategies of multinational enterprises. Faced with large share of domestic accounts distorted by tax arbitrage, economists are left to deal with high degrees of uncertainty when forecasting national output and employment. Even past data becomes hard to interpret.

In recent months, various analysts published a wide range of forecasts and predictions for Irish economy for 2014-2015. Consider just three sources of such forecasts: Department of Finance, the ESRI and the IMF.

Budget 2014 projections, forming the basis of our fiscal policy predicted average annual real GDP growth of 2.15 percent, with underlying real GNP growth of 1.7 percent. These projections were based on the assumed annual growth of 1.5 percent in personal consumption, and 6.35 percent growth in investment. These projections were also in-line with IMF forecasts.

Around the same time, ESRI was forecasting GDP growth of 2.6 percent for 2014 and GNP growth of 2.7 percent, well ahead of the Department of Finance outlook. ESRI forecasts were much more skewed in favour of domestic investment and personal consumption.

Fast-forward six months to today. In its latest analysis, IMF lowered its forecast for our GDP growth to 1.7 percent for 2014, leaving unchanged their outlook for 2015. The Fund forecast for GNP growth remained unchanged for 2014 and was raised for 2015.

ESRI has shifted decidedly into even more optimistic territory. The Institute's latest predictions are for GDP expansion of 3.05 percent on average in 2014-2015. GNP growth forecast is now at 3.6 percent. ESRI's rosy projections are based on expectations of a massive 10 percent growth in investment, with private consumption expectations also ahead of previous projections.

Finally, this week, Department of Finance upgraded its own forecasts, lifting expected 2014-2015 growth to 2.4 percent for GDP and 2.5 percent for GNP. Domestic demand growth is now expected to average 2.4 percent through 2015, and investment growth is expected to run at a head-spinning rate of 13.9 percent.

Everyone, save the IMF, is getting increasingly bullish on Irish domestic economy, which, in return, spells good news for employment and household finances.



The problem is that all of these forecasts give little comfort to anyone seriously concerned with the impact of economic growth on the ground, in the real economy.

Even the ESRI now admits that we cannot forecast this economy with any degree of precision. More significantly, the Institute recognises that our GDP figures are no longer meaningful when it comes to measuring actual economic performance. Instead, the ESRI claims that GNP is a better gauge of the real state of the Irish economy.

In truth, the proverbial rabbit hole does not end there: Irish GNP itself is still heavily skewed by the very same distortions that render our GDP nearly useless.

The ongoing changes in our exports and imports composition are throwing thick fog of obscurity over our net exports, which account for 22.6 percent of our GDP and 26.7 percent of our GNP – not a small share.

Since 2012, expiration of international patents in the pharmaceutical sector, triggered billions in lost exports revenues and shrinking trade surplus. In colloquial terms, Irish economy is now running weak on expired Viagra.

Just how much the patent cliff depresses our GDP and GNP is a mater of dispute, but we do know that pharma accounts for about one quarter of our total exports and one eighth of the gross value added in economy despite employing very few workers here. The patent cliff was responsible for a massive 1.25 percent drop in our labour productivity across the entire economy last year. But, as ESRI analysis previously shown, the overall effect of patents expirations on our GDP (and by corollary on GNP) is extremely sensitive to the assumptions relating to where pharma companies book their final profits. Profits booked in Ireland yield significant adverse impact. Profits channeled through Ireland to offshore destinations have negligible impact.



Which brings us to the second force contributing to rendering both GDP and GNP growth largely irrelevant as measures of our economic wellbeing.

Based on data through Q4 2013, since the bottom of the Great Recession in 2010, our net exports of goods and services rose EUR10.6 billion, driven by EUR14.4 billion in new exports of services offset by the decline of EUR3.05 billion in exports of goods. Ireland’s exports-led recovery was associated with a massive shift toward ICT exports.

Much of this trade was associated with little real activity on the ground.

Consider for example tax revenues. In 2010-2013, for each euro in added net exports, the Exchequer revenues increased by less than 3.3 cents. Back in 2000-2002 period the same relationship was more than six times higher. Of course back then both the MNCs and domestic companies were in rude health or on steroids of cheap credit and patents protection, depending on how a two-handed economist might look at the numbers. Still, the core composition of our exports was more directly connected to real production and value creation taking place in this country.

This can be directly witnessed by looking at other metrics of current activity, such as Purchasing Manager Indices published by Markit and Investec Ireland. Since Q1 2010, both Services and Manufacturing PMIs have been consistently signaling a booming economy. Meanwhile, GDP posted an average annual rate of growth of just 0.22 percent. Employment in industry ex-construction is down 21 percent on pre-crisis peak, employment in professional, scientific and technical activities is down 4.3 percent and employment in information and communication sector is down 1.1 percent.

The new crop of multinational corporations driving growth of GDP and GNP in Ireland is much more aggressive at tax optimisation than their predecessors. Which means that they also tend to use fewer domestic resources to deliver real value added on the ground.



All of which suggests that gauging true extent of economic growth in Ireland is no longer a simple matter of looking at either GDP or GNP figures. Instead, we are left with other aggregate measures of the real economy, such as: non-agricultural employment and the final domestic demand – a sum of private and public consumption and gross fixed capital formation.

By the latter metric, this economy has managed to deliver 6 consecutive years of uninterrupted annual declines in activity. In 2013, inflation-adjusted domestic demand fell by some EUR366 million on previous year. Cumulated losses since 2008 now stand at EUR32 billion or almost 20 percent of our GDP. Good news is that the rate of declines has been de-accelerating every year since 2009. And in H2 2013 demand rose 1.75 percent year on year. Bad news is that in real terms, our final domestic demand is currently running at the levels just above those recorded in 2003. In other words, we are now into the eleventh year of the ‘lost decade’.  At H2 2013 rate of growth, it will take Ireland until 2026-2027 to regain pre-crisis levels of domestic economic activity.

Meanwhile, employment figures are painting a slightly more optimistic picture, albeit these figures too are not free of methodological problems. In Q4 2013, non-agricultural employment in Ireland stood at 1,793,000, with H2 figures on average up 1.91 percent or 33,550 on the same period of 2012. To-date, non-agricultural employment numbers are down 13 percent or 266,550 on pre-crisis levels. However, when one considers total population changes in Ireland since the onset of the crisis, the ratio of non-agricultural employment to total population is currently at 39 percent, which is the level below those recorded in Q4 2000.


To the chagrin of the Irish policymakers and general public, our economy is, like an average economist, two-handed. On the one hand, our employment and total demand figures show an economy anemically bouncing close to the bottom. On the other hand, a handful of MNCs are pushing our GDP and GNP stats up with profits from their operations in far flung places retired here. Harry Truman really had it easy compared to Enda Kenny.




Box-out

The latest data from the Central Bank covering retail interest rates confirms two key trends previously highlighted in this column.

The first one is the rising cost of borrowing compared to the underlying European Central Bank policy rate. In January-February 2014, average retail rates on new loans for house purchases were priced 3.32 percent higher than the ECB rate. A year ago the same margin was 2.89 percent. For non-financial corporations, average margin rose from 4.58 percent to 5.03 percent for loans under EUR1 million, and from 2.42 percent to 3.1 percent for new loans over EUR1 million. Lending margins over the ECB rate in January-February 2014, averaged two to three times the margins charged in the same period of 2007 at the peak of credit bubble.

The second trend relates to the spread between rates paid by the banks on deposits and interest charged on loans. Since October 2011, Irish households consistently faced deposit rates that are by some 2 percentage points lower than the average annual cost of new loans for house purchases. In January-February 2014 this gap widened by some 0.27 percent compared to the same period of 2013. The spread is now running at double the rate recorded at the peak of the pre-crisis credit boom. The same holds for interest rates differential between loans and deposits for non-financial corporations which is now at the second largest levels since January 2003 when the data reporting started.

In short, credit today is historically more expensive, while deposits are cheaper. Irish banking sector continues to extract emergency rents out of the real economy with no easing in sight.

Friday, December 20, 2013

20/12/2013: Q3 GDP: Is There a Domestic Recovery?


In previous posts, I covered:
1) top-level data on GDP and GNP growth in q3 2013 (here: http://trueeconomics.blogspot.ie/2013/12/19122013-good-gdp-gnp-growth-headlines.html)
2) expenditure components of GDP and GNP (here: http://trueeconomics.blogspot.ie/2013/12/19122013-qna-q3-2013-expenditure-side.html), and
3) 3-quarters aggregates changes in GDP and GNP (here: http://trueeconomics.blogspot.ie/2013/12/20122013-how-real-is-that-gdp-and-gnp.html)


Now, onto the Domestic Demand.

With both GDP and GNP now severely skewed by the transfer pricing going on in the ICT Services sectors in Ireland, it is no longer reasonable to look at either GDP or GNP for the signs of underlying activity gains in the real Irish economy. Instead, we should consider a combination of all three: changes in GDP, GNP and Final Domestic Demand. Final Domestic Demand is defined as a combination of:

  • Government spending on goods and services (other than investment goods)
  • Government and private investment in the economy, and
  • Private household consumption of goods and services

Unlike Total Domestic Demand, Final Domestic Demand excludes stocks built up by businesses.


First, looking at the Q1-Q3 aggregates comparatives based on data that is not seasonally-adjusted and is expressed in constant euros. In Q1-Q3 2013, final domestic demand in Ireland fell 1.41% compared to the same period in 2012 (down EUR1,293 million y/y). Final Domestic Demand is now down 2.89% on the first three quarters of 2011 and is down 21.6% on the same period of 2007.

In other words, over Q-Q3 2013, on aggregate, there is still no recovery in the domestic economy in Ireland.


Second, let's take a look at q/q changes in the GDP, GNP and Final Domestic Demand. For this purpose, we consider seasonally-adjusted constant euros series.

In Q3 2013, Exports of goods and services fell 0.80% q/q on seasonally-adjusted basis. The decline was shallow compared to 4.63% rise in Q2 2013, but it replicates the pattern of 'quarter up, quarter down' established since Q3 2012.

Overall, since Q1 2011 (in other words since the 'adjustment programme' or 'bailout' started) Irish exports of goods and services were up over 6 quarters and down over 5 quarters. Exports-led recovery stacks ups s follows:

  • In 1997-2007 average quarterly growth in exports of goods and services in Ireland stood at 2.445%;
  • In 2008-present that rate was 0.281% and
  • In 2011-present it is 0.4988%

In other words, massive increases in ICT services exports over the period of the crisis are not strong enough to generate significant uplift momentum in exports growth.

GDP at constant market prices rose 1.502% q/q in Q3 2013, marking a second consecutive quarter of growth. In Q2 2013 the rise was 1.023%. Since Q1 2011, GDP rose on a quarterly basis in 7 quarters and was down in 4 quarters. Overall recovery comparatives are:

  • In 1997-2007 GDP growth average 1.630% on a quarterly basis;
  • Over 2008-present the average is -0.353% and
  • Over Q1 2011-present the average is +0.358%

So there is a longer-term recovery on average, based on GDP, but it is weak, consistent with annualised rate of growth of just 1.44%.


GNP at constant market prices rose 1.580% q/q in Q3 2013, marking the first quarter of growth. In Q2 2013 the GNP contracted 0.133%. Since Q1 2011, GNP rose on a quarterly basis in 6 quarters, it was flat at zero in one quarter, and was down in 4 quarters. Overall recovery comparatives are:

  • In 1997-2007 GNP growth averaged 1.522% on a quarterly basis;
  • Over 2008-present the average is -0.302% and
  • Over Q1 2011-present the average is +0.171%

So there is a longer-term recovery on average, based on GNP, but it is weak, consistent with annualised rate of growth of just 0.68%.


Final Domestic Demand at constant market prices rose 2.412% q/q in Q3 2013, marking the second quarter of growth. In Q2 2013 the FDD was up 0.218%. Since Q1 2011, Final Domestic Demand rose on a quarterly basis in 7 quarters, and was down in 4 quarters. Overall recovery comparatives are:

  • In 1997-2007 FDD growth averaged 1.621% on a quarterly basis;
  • Over 2008-present the average is -0.961% and
  • Over Q1 2011-present the average is -0.175%

So there is no longer-term recovery on average, based on Final Domestic Demand, with FDD contracting on average at an annualised rate of 0.70%. There is, however, good news of FDD rising for two consecutive quarters, clocking cumulative growth of just 2.64% over 6 months or 5.34% annualised. The problem is that the levels from which this growth is taking place are low.

As shown above, overall recovery is not yet taking hold in the domestic economy, although there are some gains recorded in the domestic demand that are encouraging and have been sustained over 2 consecutive quarters.

20/12/2013: How Real Is that GDP and GNP Growth in Ireland? Q3 data


In previous two posts, I covered top-level data on GDP and GNP growth in q3 2013 (here: http://trueeconomics.blogspot.ie/2013/12/19122013-good-gdp-gnp-growth-headlines.html) and expenditure components of GDP and GNP (here: http://trueeconomics.blogspot.ie/2013/12/19122013-qna-q3-2013-expenditure-side.html).

Now, let's take a look at 3-quarters aggregates. The reason why looking at 3 quarters aggregates makes sense is that q/q changes are volatile, while y/y changes are only reflective of quarter-wide movements in activity. 9-months January-September 2013 data comparatives to a year ago provide a better visibility as to what has been happening in the economy so far during this year.

All analysis below is based on seasonally unadjusted data in constant prices terms.

In 3 quarters (Q1-Q3) of 2013, Personal Consumption of Goods and Services fell 1.22% when compared to the same period in 2012. The series are down 1.93% on Q1-Q3 2011. In level terms, personal consumption is down EUR734 million for the first 9 months of 2013 compared to a year ago.

Expenditure by Central and Local Government on Current Goods and Services was down 0.96% for the 9 months January-September 2013 compared to the same period of 2012 and is down 5.03% on same period in 2011. In level terms, Government spending on goods and services is down EUR178 million in Q1-Q3 2013 compared to a year ago.

Gross Domestic Fixed Capital Formation for the nine months January-September 2013 has fallen 2.90% compared to the same period a year ago (in level terms, -EUR381 million). Compared to the same period in 2011, gross fixed capital formation is now down 4.42%. When we talk about 'big increases' in investment, keep in mind, Q1-Q3 cumulated Gross Fixed Capital Formation was down 55% on the same period for 2007.

Exports of Goods and Services for the nine months January-September 2013 were down 0.8% on the same period a year ago (-EUR1,013 million), but up 0.84% on the same period of 2011. This hardly shows 'robust growth' in exports. Exports composition has shifted once again in favour of Services. Goods exports shrunk over the last nine months by 4.51% compared to same period 2012 (-EUR2,809 million) and are now down 8.29% on Q1-Q3 cumulative for 2011 and down 2.47% on Q1-Q3 2007 too. Meanwhile, exports of services rose 2.77% in Q1-Q3 2013 compared to a year ago (+EUR1,796 million) as per 'Google-tax effect' and these are now up 10.69% on Q1-Q3 2011 and up 21.29% on Q1-Q3 2007. At the rate we are going, pretty soon Barrow Street GDP will exceed that of South Korea, which will make Poly's Pizza more economically important than Geneva.

Sarcasm aside, Imports of goods and services (another driver - via their collapse - of positive GDP and GNP news) are down 0.93% y/y in Q1-Q3 2013 (-EUR908 million) and are down 1.35% on same period 2011. Compared to Q1-Q3 2007 imports of goods and services are down massive 9.49% - the effect that contributes significantly to upside of GDP. Goods imports alone are now down 33.3% on Q1-Q3 2007 and these were down 4% (-EUR1,419 million) on Q1-Q3 cumulative for 2012.

So, let's add few things. In 9 months January-September 2013, relative to the same period of 2012:
1) Personal consumption fell EUR734 million
2) Government consumption fell EUR178 million
3) Domestic Gross Fixed Capital formation fell EUR381 million
4) Exports of Goods and Services fell EUR1,013 million
5) Imports of Goods and Services fell EUR908 million, and
6) Stocks of goods rose EUR503 million.

(1)-(4) subtracted from GDP growth, (5) and (6) added to GDP growth. Which means that the only two positive contributions to growth in our GDP came from: imports decline and stocks of goods held by businesses rise. This is hardly a good news, as both sources of growth are really not about increased/improved activity in the economy.

Thus, GDP at constant market prices fell over the period of Q1-Q3 2013 compared to Q1-Q3 2012 by 0.58% (or EUR706 million). Notice the word 'fell' - whilst there were rises in GDP in Q3 and Q2 in q/q basis, overall so far, 2013 total output in the economy is below that registered for the same period in 2012.

GDP is also down 0.04% on same period 2011 and is down 6.82% on the same period in 2007.

Let me know if you are spotting any positive growth in the above.

Next, the difference between GDP and GNP is formed by the Net Factor Income from the Rest of the World. This also fell in Q1-Q3 2013 compared to the same period of 2012 - down 14.37% y/y (or -EUR3,378 million), which 'contributed' a positive swing to the GNP in the amount of almost EUR3.38 billion. The reason for this? Well, growth-generating fall-off in activity in the phrama sector meant that MNCs were booking lower profits via Ireland and this, allegedly, has a positive effect on our economy… err… on our GNP.

GNP, propelled by stocks accounting tricks, hocus-pocus of transfer pricing and continued decline in imports rose 2.69% in Q1-Q3 2013 compared to Q1-Q3 2012 (up EUR2,670 million = decline in GDP of -EUR706million plus decline in factor payments of +EUR3,378 million). Seriously, folks, this is beginning to look like a joke!

Based on the same physics of transfer pricing miracles, Irish GNP is now 4.16% ahead of Q1-Q3 reading for 2011.

Recap: On expenditure side of the National Accounts, growth in 2013 is not exactly real (for GNP) and not present (for GDP).

Analysis of Total Domestic Demand (aka domestic economy) is to follow. Before then, charts to illustrate the above:




Thursday, December 19, 2013

19/12/2013: QNA Q3 2013: Expenditure Side and External Trade



QNA results came in strong at the headline levels for Q3 2013. These were covered here: http://trueeconomics.blogspot.ie/2013/12/19122013-good-gdp-gnp-growth-headlines.html

Now, let's take a look at the GDP decomposition by expenditure line. I am referencing throughout non-seasonally adjusted series for y/y comparatives. All in constant prices.

Year on year, personal expenditure on goods and services fell 0.98% in Q3 2013 and the series were up 0.79% on Q3 2011. This is not a good result, but it is an improvement on -1.52 y/y contraction recorded in Q2 2013.

Net Expenditure by Central & Local Govt. on Current Goods & Services rose 0.68% y/y in Q3 2013, after having posted a contraction of -1.73% in Q2 2013. Compared to Q3 2011, net expenditure by Government was down -3.25% in Q3 2013.

Gross domestic fixed capital formation jumped significantly in Q3 2013 up 8.30% y/y albeit from low levels. The series are now up 18.68% on Q3 2011. In Q2 2013, fixed capital formation rose 1.42% y/y, so Q3 2013 data shows some serious improvement.


Exports of Goods and Services (net of factor income flows) rose 0.58% y/y in Q3 2013 and are up only 0.94% on Q3 2011. This is poor given how much we have staked on an exports-led recovery. Worse news: in Q2 2013 exports grew 1.09% y/y, so we are seeing continued slowdown in the rates of growth.

Exports of Goods fell 2.37% y/y in Q3 2013 on foot of a decline of 1.61% in Q2 2013. Exports of goods are now down 7.64% on Q3 2011.

Exports of Services meanwhile picked the slack from Exports of Goods contraction. Exports of Services grew 3.32% y/y in Q3 2013 having previously posted growth of 3.63% y/y in Q2 2013. In other words, strong growth in Q3, but slower than in Q2. Compared to Q3 2011, exports of services are now up cumulative 9.89%.


Imports of Goods and Services fell 1.28% y/y in Q3 2013 and are now up only 0.73% on Q3 2011. The decline was primarily driven by a 3.4% drop in imports of goods and moderated by a decline of 0.11% in terms of imports of services.

Trade Balance grew on foot of stronger trade surplus in services (+EUR747 million in Q3 2013 compared to Q3 2012) and moderated by small decline in trade deficit in goods (-EUR93 million in Q3 2013). Trade balance overall grew by EUR654 million in Q3 2013 compared to Q3 2012, up 6.56% y/y.


Thus, on the expenditure side of the National Accounts, Q3 2013 gains in GDP were supported by 

  • Growth in the Net Government Expenditure on Current Goods and Services, Gross Domestic Fixed Capital Formation, and Exports of Services
  • Contraction in Imports of Goods and Imports of Services

The GDP dynamics were adversely impacted by declines in:

  • Personal expenditure on goods and services,
  • Decline in Exports of goods.

Volatility remains a dominant theme in quarterly data analysis, so it is worth looking at the figures for the first 3 quarters of the year. This will be done is the next post.