Polish central bank sees CPI peaking in Q1 2026
Recasts with details of inflation peak
WARSAW, Nov 8 (Reuters) -Assuming Poland's government removes a cap on household energy prices in 2025, inflation will peak in the first quarter before returning to the central bank's target range in early 2026, its latest economic forecasts showed on Friday.
The National Bank of Poland (NBP) has kept its main interest rate on hold at 5.75% since October 2023 largely due to uncertainty over energy prices, and in its latest set of forcasts it published two scenarios, one in which the energy price cap is removed and a second in which it is maintained.
"An important factor shaping the CPI inflation path over the projection horizon is the development in the prices of energy carriers for households, which largely depend on government regulatory measures," the NBP said in its report, adding that it treated the removal of the cap as the baseline scenario.
Under the baseline scenario inflation will peak at 6.6% in the first quarter of 2025, before falling to 3.1% in the first quarter of 2026 and 2.5% in the third quarter of 2026.
The NBP inflation target is 2.5% plus or minus one percentage point. Inflation was 5.0% in October according to a flash estimate.
Under the second scenario inflation would peak at 5.3% in the first quarter of 2025 and would fall to 3.5%, the upper end of the target range, in the third quarter of 2025.
On an annual basis, thebank expects inflation to be 3.7% in 2024, 4.3% in 2025 and 2.8% in 2026 if measures to keep household energy prices down are extended. If they are not extended it expects inflation to be 3.7% in 2024, 5.6% in 2025 and 2.7% in 2026.
The central bank said it expected Poland's growth to be affected by "subdued economic activity in the euro area, especially in the German economy".
In its baseline scenario it forecasts gross domestic product (GDP) growth of 2.7% in 2024 and 3.4% in 2025.
Reporting by Pawel Florkiewicz and Karol Badohal, writing by Alan Charlish
Editing by Gareth Jones
Latest News
Disclaimer: The XM Group entities provide execution-only service and access to our Online Trading Facility, permitting a person to view and/or use the content available on or via the website, is not intended to change or expand on this, nor does it change or expand on this. Such access and use are always subject to: (i) Terms and Conditions; (ii) Risk Warnings; and (iii) Full Disclaimer. Such content is therefore provided as no more than general information. Particularly, please be aware that the contents of our Online Trading Facility are neither a solicitation, nor an offer to enter any transactions on the financial markets. Trading on any financial market involves a significant level of risk to your capital.
All material published on our Online Trading Facility is intended for educational/informational purposes only, and does not contain – nor should it be considered as containing – financial, investment tax or trading advice and recommendations; or a record of our trading prices; or an offer of, or solicitation for, a transaction in any financial instruments; or unsolicited financial promotions to you.
Any third-party content, as well as content prepared by XM, such as: opinions, news, research, analyses, prices and other information or links to third-party sites contained on this website are provided on an “as-is” basis, as general market commentary, and do not constitute investment advice. To the extent that any content is construed as investment research, you must note and accept that the content was not intended to and has not been prepared in accordance with legal requirements designed to promote the independence of investment research and as such, it would be considered as marketing communication under the relevant laws and regulations. Please ensure that you have read and understood our Notification on Non-Independent Investment. Research and Risk Warning concerning the foregoing information, which can be accessed here.
