European Central Bank - statistics & facts
Interest rates have been a critical focus for central banks since the widespread increases that began in 2019. Between 2019 and 2024, most major economies responded to declining economic conditions with regular rate hikes, resulting in the highest central bank interest rates since the global financial crisis. In a notable development, the European Central Bank (ECB) was the first among major economies to cut rates in April 2024. Following this, other major central banks around the world began implementing interest rate cuts in mid-2024, signaling a coordinated shift in monetary policy aimed at stimulating economic growth.
