Croatia’s economy expands for 17th consecutive quarter in 1Q25

Growth was broad-based, though activity declined in agriculture and the information and communication sectors.

South Korean consumer confidence up as optimism over new government kicks in, rate cuts expected

The boost in sentiment is being attributed to growing expectations that the incoming government, set to be formed after the June 3 election, will deliver economic support and policy stability.

Protests have minimal impact on Serbian tourism in Q1

Central bank data shows months of protests and road blockades have not deterred foreign holidaymakers despite government assertions that political unrest is undermining tourism.

Polish retail sales surge in April

Polish retail sales grew 7.6% year on year at constant prices in April, beating the consensus, which had expected a 3.4% annual increase, the statistics office GUS said on May 26.

Uzbekistan’s foreign trade expands 16% y/y in Jan–April to $24.6bn

Fuelled by a 35% rise in exports. Gold shipments up 60%.

Turkey sticks to end-2025 inflation target of 24%

Space for mid-June policy rate cut to 100-350 bp opens up.

Drill down into Poland’s presidential election voting patterns

Poland’s presidential election will go to a second-round run-off after centrist candidate Rafał Trzaskowski and conservative Karol Nawrocki finished in a close contest in the May 15 first round.

Japan's tourism boom: April sees record-breaking 3.91mn foreign visitors

Cumulatively, the first four months of 2025 have seen approximately 14.45mn foreign arrivals, a 24.5% rise from the corresponding period in 2024.

Sri Lanka likely to hold rates steady amid stable growth and tariff uncertainty

The country's economy grew by 5% in 2024, outperforming expectations and marking a significant turnaround after a deep financial crisis triggered by a severe shortage of US dollars three years ago.

Slovak unemployment dropped to 3.71% in April

Unemployment in Slovakia (PDU) dropped by 0.01 percentage point month-on-month to 3.71% in April, reaching the lowest level of unemployed persons on record since 1993 for the second consecutive month.

EC slashes Hungary's growth forecast to lowest in region, below tepid EU average

Hungary's economic recovery remains sluggish, with the country projected to significantly underperform its Central European neighbours in both growth and investment, according to the European Commission's spring forecast.

Russia’s consumer price inflation at 10.2% in April

Inflation and the resulting high interest rates continue to be the principal concern of Russian policy makers.

Romania holds monetary policy rate at 6.5% amid elevated inflation and political uncertainty

Markets currently expect no rate cuts before autumn, although that timing remains subject to shifts in both domestic policy and external economic conditions.

Borsa Istanbul leads world markets in dollar-basis losses

Turkey’s exchange-traded fund down 9.5% in year-to-date. Thai performance second worst at 6.5%.

Polish economy grows 3.8% in first quarter as momentum holds steady

Polish GDP grew 3.8% year on year in the first quarter of 2025, slightly below the revised 3.9% increase recorded in the previous three months, seasonally adjusted data from the Central Statistical Office showed in a flash estimate on May 15.

Uzbekistan’s 1Q passenger car imports plummet to 6,950 units from 22,210 a year earlier

Non-tariff barriers have taken a big toll.

Slovak inflation eases to 3.7% y/y in April

Czech unemployment stagnates at 4.3% in April

Czech unemployment remained at 4.3% in April, the same level as in March. Year on year, the unemployment increased by 0.6 percentage point, or by 38,462 persons.

Romania pays 8.45% on 14-month Treasury bonds as presidential elections damage investor sentiment

The landslide win by far-right presidential candidate George Simion in the first round of the presidential elections has rattled investors.

Slovak industry returns to growth of 3.5% y/y in March

Slovakia’s industrial output increased by 3.5% year on year and by 0.7% month on month in March, registering the first month of growth this year.