kwartaal

Kwartaal is a Dutch noun meaning a period of three months, i.e., a quarter of a calendar year. It is used in finance, economics, statistics, and public administration to structure time and reporting.

A year is commonly divided into four quarters: Q1 (January–March), Q2 (April–June), Q3 (July–September), and Q4 (October–December). The abbreviations Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4 are widely used in financial statements and market communications, sometimes alongside Dutch terms such as het eerste kwartaal.

The term also describes a three-month period used for budgeting, forecasting, or data collection, for example kwartaalopbrengsten (quarterly revenues) or kwartaalcijfers (quarterly figures). In statistics and research, quarterly data helps analyze seasonal patterns and short-term trends, while governments may publish quarterly economic indicators, inflation, or unemployment rates. Some organizations adjust the quarterly periods to align with fiscal years that do not coincide with the calendar year.

The concept is parallel to the English quarter or the German Quartal and forms a basic unit of time division in many data reporting practices. The term is common in Dutch-language business and government communication and is generally understood across Dutch-speaking regions.