Macrocijfers

Macrocijfers, the Dutch term for macroeconomic indicators, are statistics that summarize the overall performance of an economy. They are produced by national statistical offices, central banks, and international organizations, and are typically published on a monthly, quarterly, or annual basis. In the Netherlands, Statistics Netherlands (CBS) provides much of the domestic data, while international data come from Eurostat, the OECD, the IMF, and the World Bank, often aligned with standards such as ESA 2010 and SNA.

Macrocijfers cover a range of domains, including growth, price levels, employment, production, trade, and fiscal balances. They can be categorized as leading indicators (for example, consumer confidence or new orders), coincident indicators (such as real GDP, industrial production, and unemployment), and lagging indicators (for instance, inflation persistence or unemployment duration). Commonly cited figures include GDP growth, consumer price index (inflation), unemployment rate, wage growth, consumer spending, and the current account balance.

These indicators are used by policymakers to assess economic health and to guide policy decisions, by researchers to analyze trends, and by businesses for planning and forecasting. Data are often revised as more complete information becomes available and may be seasonally adjusted or expressed in real terms (inflation-adjusted) versus nominal terms. When interpreting macrocijfers, it is important to consider methodological differences, base-year changes, and the distinction between real and nominal values. The concept is central to economic analysis and reporting in the Netherlands and in the broader international context.