Belgian economy: forecasts, projections and business cycle
The FPB has well-established expertise in the field of short-term and medium-term economic forecasts and projections for the Belgian economy. The purpose of this work is to forecast the evolution of the main economic aggregates for the next four to six quarters and to map out a possible future for the Belgian economy over a longer period (five to six years). Besides these forecasts and projections, the FPB regularly produces variant analyses aimed at assessing the impact of exogenous shocks or economic policy measures. These forecasts, projections and analyses are made available to the government and to other actors in economic and public life, such as social partners.
Short-term forecasts and business cycle
The FPB produces macroeconomic forecasts for the federal government within the framework of the preparation of the federal budget (in September) and of the budget review (in February). These forecasts (known as the ‘Economic Budget’) cover a period of four to six quarters.
Medium-term forecasts
Once a year, usually in May, the FPB publishes a medium-term macrosectoral projection covering a period of six years. It consists of a projection of the main macrosectoral and macroeconomic indicators.
Macroeconomic and macrosectoral analyses
The FPB carries out mainly two types of macroeconomic and macrosectoral analyses:
