CEIZ for March 2022: GDP annual growth rate slows down in the first quarter of 2022
May 26, 2022
In March 2022, CEIZ index decreased by 1.1 index points compared to the same month in 2021, while compared to February 2022 it remained at the same level. When observing the individual index components, all four index components (volume of industrial production, the number of tourist arrivals, real retail trade and state budget income from VAT revenues) recorded a higher seasonally adjusted value in March 2022 compared to February 2022.
Based on the index movements, it can be estimated that the Croatian economy will grow by 6.7 percent in the first quarter of 2022 compared to the same period in 2021, which means that GDP annual growth rate continues to slow down in the first quarter of 2022, as has been recorded since the third quarter of 2021.
* Monthly assessment of GDP growth rate based on CEIZ index value is indicative and should be used primarily as information on the current condition and trend of the business cycle in Croatia.
What is CEIZ?
Coincident Economic Index of the Institute of Economics, Zagreb (CEIZ) is a monthly composite business cycle indicator developed by the Institute of Economics, Zagreb. Its purpose is to provide timely information on the current business cycle condition. Consequently, the CEIZ index value changes simultaneously with the business cycle, thus indicating the present state of the economy. The CEIZ index was constructed by applying in parallel a dynamic factor model and a Markov switching model. Details on the CEIZ index methodology are described in the paper: Rašić Bakarić, Ivana, Marina Tkalec and Maruška Vizek, 2016, “Constructing a Composite Coincident Indicator for a Post-Transition Country”, Ekonomska istraživanja (Economic Research), 29 (1), pp. 434–445.
The CEIZ index is useful in three ways. First, it is a single-number business cycle indicator containing information that would otherwise have to be accrued by analyzing a large number of economic series. Second, unlike the GDP series, it provides monthly estimates on the state of the economy, thus providing information on fine changes that took place in a short period of time. Third, the CEIZ index is available one to three months prior to quarterly GDP estimates, meaning that policy-makers and the general public can observe the current state of the economy in a timely manner.
The index is to be interpreted in such a way that the positive values represent economic growth while the negative ones represent a decreased economic activity.