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Price changes over shorter periods have come down more rapidly and are now at lower levels.
23/11/2023
Nov-23
par_body
null
null
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positive
Inflation has also slowed regardless of the time horizon studied and if this development continues, the 12-monthly figures will also start to decline gradually.
23/11/2023
Nov-23
par_body
null
null
null
neutral
In Sweden, the rate of price increase according to this measure has been higher than the corresponding measures in the euro area and the United States in 2022 and 2023.
23/11/2023
Nov-23
par_body
null
null
null
negative
Recently, however, developments in Sweden have come close to those abroad and are now also relatively close to a level that is compatible with the inflation target.
23/11/2023
Nov-23
par_body
null
null
null
neutral
One way of calculating measures of underlying inflation is to exclude certain predetermined components in the CPIF in which the price variations are considered to be more temporary than in other components.
23/11/2023
Nov-23
par_body
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null
null
neutral
The CPIF excluding energy is an example of such a measure.
23/11/2023
Nov-23
par_body
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neutral
Another way is to use statistical methods to try to lessen the significance of components in the CPIF whose prices fluctuate sharply.
23/11/2023
Nov-23
par_body
null
null
null
neutral
Like the CPIF excluding energy, other measures of underlying inflation also show that the rate of price increase has slowed down.
23/11/2023
Nov-23
par_body
null
null
null
neutral
The median of five different measures has recently turned down (see left-hand image in Figure 30).
23/11/2023
Nov-23
par_body
null
null
null
negative
Here too, it can be see that price changes over periods shorter than one year, red bars, have gradually slowed down in Sweden over the last year and the median amounted to just over 2 per cent in October.
23/11/2023
Nov-23
par_body
null
null
null
neutral
Of the different measures included in the calculation of the median, CPIF excluding energy has been the highest for some time (see right-hand image in Figure 30).
23/11/2023
Nov-23
par_body
null
null
null
neutral
Lower rate of increase in prices of food and other goods ...
23/11/2023
Nov-23
par_title
null
null
null
neutral
Monetary policy has contributed to a recent slowdown in Inflation in Sweden but there are differences in price development between various components.
23/11/2023
Nov-23
par_body
null
null
null
neutral
The rate of price increase for food has fallen in Sweden and abroad, although levels remain high (see Figure 31).
23/11/2023
Nov-23
par_body
null
null
null
negative
The decline is due to lower demand, which has contributed to increased competition.
23/11/2023
Nov-23
par_body
null
null
null
negative
This in turn has made it more difficult for companies to continue to raise the prices substantially.
23/11/2023
Nov-23
par_body
null
null
null
negative
In addition, commodity prices are now lower and production costs have declined.
23/11/2023
Nov-23
par_body
null
null
null
neutral
The imbalances between supply and demand have eased and this, together with the same factors that explain the downturn in the rates of increase in food prices, can also explain why the rate of price increase for other goods prices in Sweden and abroad has slowed down.
23/11/2023
Nov-23
par_body
null
null
null
neutral
In Sweden, the decline in inflation has been somewhat slower than abroad, which is probably connected with the depreciation of the krona and with imported goods and services having become more expensive.
23/11/2023
Nov-23
par_body
null
null
null
neutral
... at the same time as services prices continue to rise relatively rapidly
23/11/2023
Nov-23
par_title
null
null
null
negative
Services prices are the component that has made the biggest contribution to the continued high CPIF inflation in Sweden (see Figure 4).
23/11/2023
Nov-23
par_body
null
null
null
negative
In Sweden and the euro area, where the rate of increase in services prices has not fallen so much yet, it is instead prices for other services that have continued to rise.
23/11/2023
Nov-23
par_body
null
null
null
neutral
Strong demand as a probable explanation for developments in Sweden can be seen, for instance, in the relatively rapid price increases in those services sectors that have coped well since the pandemic.
23/11/2023
Nov-23
par_body
null
null
null
neutral
One example is the hotel and restaurant sector.
23/11/2023
Nov-23
par_body
null
null
null
neutral
In Sweden, the effect of large, pandemicrelated weight adjustments in the services price aggregate, especially for foreign travel, have pushed up the annual rate of price increase in 2023.
23/11/2023
Nov-23
par_body
null
null
null
neutral
The effect has now started to fade, but stripped of this weight adjustment, the rate of increase in services prices will nevertheless be a whole percentage point lower (see Figure 35).
23/11/2023
Nov-23
par_body
null
null
null
neutral
Companies’ price rises can be due to either their marginal costs having increased or them raising the price mark-up in excess of the costs.
23/11/2023
Nov-23
par_body
null
null
null
neutral
According to the Economic Tendency Survey, the main contribution to higher sales prices in the service sector in 2021-2023 was made by factors that can be itemised under the term costs.
23/11/2023
Nov-23
par_body
null
null
null
neutral
Domestic costs explain most of the rise in services prices, although higher import costs have also made a contribution.
23/11/2023
Nov-23
par_body
null
null
null
neutral
Factors that can be itemised under the term price markups, i.e.
23/11/2023
Nov-23
par_body
null
null
null
neutral
demand and other factors, are now making a small negative contribution, according to companies’ responses in the Tendency Survey.
23/11/2023
Nov-23
par_body
null
null
null
neutral
However, these factors have played a much smaller role in price changes in recent years according to this survey (see Figure 32).
23/11/2023
Nov-23
par_body
null
null
null
neutral
Inflation slowing further in Sweden and abroad
23/11/2023
Nov-23
par_title
null
null
null
neutral
The rate of increase in producer prices for consumer goods has slowed in several countries.
23/11/2023
Nov-23
par_body
null
null
null
negative
This also applies to Sweden, where it is primarily prices for imported consumer goods that have created a certain volatility in producer prices recently.
23/11/2023
Nov-23
par_body
null
null
null
neutral
In addition, survey responses from the retail trade indicate that the percentage of companies planning to raise prices is gradually falling, even though the percentage is still higher than it was before inflation picked up (see Figure 33).
23/11/2023
Nov-23
par_body
null
null
null
neutral
In the Riksbank’s latest business survey, several companies, particularly those within the trade sector, report that they are no longer planning to continue to raise sales prices.
23/11/2023
Nov-23
par_body
null
null
null
neutral
Uncertainty is higher among other companies but, in general, they state that cost pressures overall have eased since the spring.
23/11/2023
Nov-23
par_body
null
null
null
neutral
Monetary policy causing inflation to fall and approach the target next year
23/11/2023
Nov-23
par_title
null
null
null
positive
Demand is now slowing down in Sweden and abroad, due to rapid monetary policy tightening, and this is contributing to gradually lower inflation.
23/11/2023
Nov-23
par_body
null
null
null
negative
The Riksbank projects resource utilisation in Sweden to fall and be lower than normal in 2024 and 2025.
23/11/2023
Nov-23
par_body
null
null
null
negative
In addition, wage agreements and wage increases outside the scope of the agreements indicate that wages and unit labour costs will rise at a rate that, given economic developments in general, is compatible with inflation falling back towards the target.
23/11/2023
Nov-23
par_body
null
null
null
neutral
As cost increases decline, demand weakens and inflation abroad falls rapidly, companies are not expected to continue to raise prices as much as previously.
23/11/2023
Nov-23
par_body
null
null
null
negative
In addition, long-term inflation expectations are well anchored close to 2 per cent, which suggests that economic agents still have high confidence in the inflation target.
23/11/2023
Nov-23
par_body
null
null
null
neutral
The Riksbank also assesses that the krona is undervalued and will appreciate gradually in the coming years, which will also help cool inflation (see Figure 34).
23/11/2023
Nov-23
par_body
null
null
null
positive
However, rents and tenant-owner housing association fees are expected to increase unusually rapidly in the coming years, which will have the opposite effect on the rate of price increase for services.
23/11/2023
Nov-23
par_body
null
null
null
neutral
The rate of increase in services prices is nevertheless expected to decline as monetary policy tightening and continued low real incomes restrain demand among households (see Figure 35).
23/11/2023
Nov-23
par_body
null
null
null
negative
All in all, this is expected to mean that inflation measured both as the CPIF and the CPIF excluding energy will continue to fall and be close to 2 per cent in the second half of 2024 (see Figure 36).
23/11/2023
Nov-23
par_body
null
null
null
positive
The monthly percentage change in the CPIF excluding energy is expected to be somewhat higher than normal for a few more months (see Figure 35).
23/11/2023
Nov-23
par_body
null
null
null
negative
On the other hand, CPIF inflation is expected to fall rapidly, as energy prices will make a negative contribution over most of the forecast period.
23/11/2023
Nov-23
par_body
null
null
null
negative
CPIF inflation will be higher than the other inflation measures in 2024 and 2025 as mortgage interest payments will make a positive contribution.
23/11/2023
Nov-23
par_body
null
null
null
neutral
Economic activity has slowed down in Sweden
23/11/2023
Nov-23
sub_sec_title
null
3.2
null
negative
The slowdown seems to be proceeding more rapidly in Sweden and the euro area than in the United States
23/11/2023
Nov-23
par_title
null
null
null
negative
Economic developments have recently been weaker in Sweden and the euro area than in the United States.
23/11/2023
Nov-23
par_body
null
null
null
negative
In Sweden, which had a strong recovery after the pandemic, GDP growth had already fallen by mid-2022 while it slowed somewhat later in the euro area.
23/11/2023
Nov-23
par_body
null
null
null
neutral
One important reason for this is that parts of the Swedish economy are more interestrate sensitive.
23/11/2023
Nov-23
par_body
null
null
null
neutral
Households and, to an extent, companies, primarily some property companies, are highly indebted and have a high proportion of variable-rate loans, which means they are rapidly affected by interest-rate adjustments (see Section 2.2 in Chapter 2).
23/11/2023
Nov-23
par_body
null
null
null
negative
Household consumption has fallen significantly in Sweden since the rate rises started in 2022 and development is weak both from a historical perspective and compared with other countries.
23/11/2023
Nov-23
par_body
null
null
null
negative
In addition, housing investment has fallen noticeably as interest rate rises have both gradually restrained demand for new housing and increased housing companies’ funding costs (see Figure 3).
23/11/2023
Nov-23
par_body
null
null
null
negative
On the other hand, Swedish exports have developed relatively well and have contributed to maintaining growth.
23/11/2023
Nov-23
par_body
null
null
null
positive
Sweden’s GDP was unchanged in the third quarter of this year, seasonally adjusted and compared to the previous quarter, according to preliminary outcomes.
23/11/2023
Nov-23
par_body
null
null
null
neutral
Indicators show that household consumption developed slightly more strongly than in the previous quarter and thereby made a positive contribution to GDP.
23/11/2023
Nov-23
par_body
null
null
null
positive
There are signs that the labour market in Sweden has cooled
23/11/2023
Nov-23
par_title
null
null
null
negative
Similar to GDP, the recovery in the Swedish labour market was strong after the pandemic.
23/11/2023
Nov-23
par_body
null
null
null
positive
And the labour market has remained strong up to the end of the first half of this year despite the rapid monetary policy tightening.
23/11/2023
Nov-23
par_body
null
null
null
positive
There are several explanations for this.
23/11/2023
Nov-23
par_body
null
null
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neutral
One is that real wages have fallen in step with the rising inflation.
23/11/2023
Nov-23
par_body
null
null
null
negative
In turn, this has meant that the cost for labour has become lower in relation to the cost of capital, and this may have contributed to a stronger demand for labour.
23/11/2023
Nov-23
par_body
null
null
null
positive
Another explanation could be that more companies are choosing to retain their labour, despite expecting lower demand and production.
23/11/2023
Nov-23
par_body
null
null
null
neutral
The explanation could be because companies want to avoid the situation that arose after the pandemic when it was difficult to recruit staff with the right skills.
23/11/2023
Nov-23
par_body
null
null
null
neutral
In addition, the employment-intensive services sector has had a strong recovery after the pandemic and demographic factors mean that the demand for labour is high in the public sector, for example in health and social care.
23/11/2023
Nov-23
par_body
null
null
null
neutral
But there are now signs that the labour market in Sweden has cooled.
23/11/2023
Nov-23
par_body
null
null
null
negative
According to Statistics Sweden’s labour force surveys (LFS), unemployment has risen, even if development is volatile and relatively difficult to interpret (see Figure 38).
23/11/2023
Nov-23
par_body
null
null
null
negative
Unemployment according to the Swedish Public Employment Service also rose slightly further in October and now amounts to 6.5 per cent.
23/11/2023
Nov-23
par_body
null
null
null
negative
Redundancy notices were more in October than in September and the trend has been faintly rising for a while.
23/11/2023
Nov-23
par_body
null
null
null
negative
Other indicators, such as the number of newly registered job openings, fell relatively sharply in October and also suggest that the strong demand for labour has declined.
23/11/2023
Nov-23
par_body
null
null
null
negative
Furthermore, bankruptcies have increased, although the number of employees affected by these remains relatively small.
23/11/2023
Nov-23
par_body
null
null
null
negative
In Sweden, wage growth rose over the first six months of the year but it is still significantly lower than in the euro area and United States.
23/11/2023
Nov-23
par_body
null
null
null
neutral
According to some indicators, wage growth has gradually slowed down in the euro area despite the continued strong labour market.
23/11/2023
Nov-23
par_body
null
null
null
negative
Measured using the GDP gap, resource utilisation is lower than normal in Sweden, while the employment gap indicates that resource utilisation remains higher than normal (see Figure 39).
23/11/2023
Nov-23
par_body
null
null
null
neutral
Taken together, various indicators suggest that resource utilisation has fallen and that it is now close to normal levels.
23/11/2023
Nov-23
par_body
null
null
null
neutral
Indicators point to weaker economic activity in the coming quarters
23/11/2023
Nov-23
par_title
null
null
null
negative
Economic activity is expected to slow down at the end of 2023 in both Sweden and the euro area and at the start of 2024 in the United States as the tighter monetary policy has an increasing impact and demand declines.
23/11/2023
Nov-23
par_body
null
null
null
negative
Forward-looking confidence indicators in Sweden, such as the Economic Tendency Survey, are on low levels and indicate that companies in the trade sector and service sector are taking a relatively gloomy view of development in the approaching quarter (see Figure 40).
23/11/2023
Nov-23
par_body
null
null
null
negative
Household confidence indicators are at a low level but are still above the lowest point from October 2022.
23/11/2023
Nov-23
par_body
null
null
null
neutral
Business sector recruitment plans are now also suggesting workforce cutbacks over the next few months.
23/11/2023
Nov-23
par_body
null
null
null
negative
Combined with other labour market indicators that are deemed to have forward-looking characteristics, this indicates that unemployment will rise in the next few quarters and that employment will fall.
23/11/2023
Nov-23
par_body
null
null
null
negative
In the Riksbank’s latest business survey, companies also assess that activity in the economy will continue to slow down and the weak economic situation will continue over the next six months.
23/11/2023
Nov-23
par_body
null
null
null
negative
According to companies’ responses, the split in the business sector will persist, with companies selling directly to households continuing to experience very weak demand while export companies will experience conditions as better.
23/11/2023
Nov-23
par_body
null
null
null
neutral
Despite nominal wages rising at a faster rate, real wages will fall again this year as a result of the high inflation.
23/11/2023
Nov-23
par_body
null
null
null
negative
Real disposable household income per capita is also expected to fall this year (see Figure 41).
23/11/2023
Nov-23
par_body
null
null
null
negative
Next year, when inflation is expected to be back around the target, real wages are assessed to rise again.
23/11/2023
Nov-23
par_body
null
null
null
positive
The economic situation will improve towards the end of 2024
23/11/2023
Nov-23
par_title
null
null
null
positive
Demand abroad will gradually rise from the start of the second six months of 2024 when inflation will be close to target and households’ real incomes will strengthen.
23/11/2023
Nov-23
par_body
null
null
null
positive
As growth picks up internationally, Swedish export growth is also expected to increase in 2024.
23/11/2023
Nov-23
par_body
null
null
null
positive
Activity in the Swedish economy is also expected to pick up gradually in 2024.
23/11/2023
Nov-23
par_body
null
null
null
positive
Inflation will fall back and real disposable household income will increase, which will lead to higher consumption.
23/11/2023
Nov-23
par_body
null
null
null
positive
Household savings as a share of disposable income will therefore decrease gradually over the forecast period and level off on the same level as before the pandemic.
23/11/2023
Nov-23
par_body
null
null
null
neutral
During the autumn, the interest-to-income ratio, households’ interest expenses as a percentage of their disposable income, has continued to increase as a consequence of more loans having matured and been renewed at a variable interest rate.
23/11/2023
Nov-23
par_body
null
null
null
neutral
Over the next year, the interest-to-income ratio is expected to rise slightly further before peaking at the start of 2025 (see Figure 42).
23/11/2023
Nov-23
par_body
null
null
null
neutral