Regionally, prices in Dublin inched up to 5.7% year-on-year from 5.6% in February, whereas growth in the rest of the country moderated to 7.2% from 7.6%. Within the capital, Dublin City recorded the strongest house price growth at 6%, followed by Fingal at 3.4%.

Price levels continued to vary sharply by area. Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown recorded the highest median dwelling price at €685,000, while Donegal and Longford shared the lowest median at €200,000.

On a monthly basis, residential property prices were flat in March, following a downwardly revised 0.3% decline in the previous month.

At the same time, the central bank underscored persistent upside risks and elevated uncertainty stemming from the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. Against this backdrop, policymakers opted for a cautious pace of monetary easing in order to preserve an appropriate monetary policy stance.

Inflation is projected to remain within the target band, averaging 6.8% in 2026 and easing to 6.1% in 2027, before edging up to 6.6% in the first quarter of 2028. Zambia’s annual inflation rate slowed to 6.8% in April, its lowest level since February 2018.

Food and non-alcoholic beverages also exerted upward pressure, with prices rising 4.4% year-over-year, up from 3.7% in the previous period. Within this category, unprocessed food prices climbed 7.5%, compared with 6.4% previously. In contrast, services inflation eased slightly to 3.2%, down from 3.4%.

On a monthly basis, consumer prices increased by 1.3% in April, following a 2% jump in March. The EU-harmonized index of consumer prices rose 3.3% year-over-year, the highest rate since May 2024, and 1.9% month-over-month.

The April reading, measured on a year-over-year basis, shows that while inflationary pressures remain present in the Portuguese economy, they have moderated slightly. The “actual” figure reflects April’s price change versus April a year earlier, while the “previous” 3.4% reading was calculated as the change in the prior month versus the same month a year before.

The small decline suggests that inflation may be stabilizing, but at a level still notably above the very low inflation rates seen in the years preceding recent global price pressures. Market participants and policymakers will be watching upcoming releases to assess whether this easing marks the start of a more sustained disinflation trend or a temporary pause in price acceleration.

Both the current and previous readings refer to April 2026, but capture different month‑over‑month dynamics: the “previous” indicator reflects the change recorded in the prior month relative to its predecessor, while the “actual” figure shows how prices moved in the reported month compared with March. The slowdown from 2.0% to 1.3% suggests some easing in short-term inflationary pressures within the Portuguese economy.

For policymakers and market participants, the softer April print may be interpreted as a sign that price momentum is stabilizing after a stronger monthly rise, potentially influencing expectations for future interest rate and fiscal policy decisions in Portugal.

According to the latest data, updated on 13 May 2026, the month‑on‑month change in Irish residential property prices stood at 0.00% in March 2026. This follows a decrease of -0.20% in February 2026 compared with January, indicating that prices have paused their downward movement for now.

The figures suggest that, on a short‑term basis, the market has shifted from mild monthly contraction to a holding pattern, with no aggregate price gains or losses recorded between February and March. Investors and homeowners will be watching subsequent releases closely to see whether this stabilisation marks a turning point or a temporary plateau in Ireland’s housing market.

According to the latest data updated on 13 May 2026, the March figure compares the change in prices to March a year earlier, while February’s 6.80% reading reflected a comparison with the same month in the previous year. The slight slowdown suggests that while price growth remains robust, the pace of annual increases is losing some momentum.

The shift from 6.80% to 6.50% indicates that Ireland’s housing market is still experiencing solid gains, but without the acceleration seen earlier in the year, a development closely watched by policymakers, lenders and prospective buyers alike.

The data suggest strengthening demand for foreign goods and services, which may reflect ongoing domestic economic activity or restocking by businesses ahead of future demand. The expansion in April continues the upward trend seen in March, positioning imports as a key variable to watch for implications on Israel’s trade balance and currency dynamics in the coming months.

Market participants and policymakers are likely to monitor whether this elevated import level persists, as sustained growth could signal robust internal demand but may also add pressure to the country’s external accounts if not matched by export performance.

ECB President Christine Lagarde reiterated on Friday that the central bank stands ready to act swiftly if needed, stressing that the euro area’s economic position is now stronger than it was before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

At the same time, German wholesale prices rose 6.3% year-on-year in April, the fastest pace since February 2023, against a backdrop of ongoing tensions in the Middle East. Eurostat data also confirmed that the Eurozone economy expanded by just 0.1% in Q1 2026, its weakest quarterly growth since Q2 2025.

The updated figure, recorded on 13 May 2026, signals a continued upward drift in ultra-long euro-area sovereign yields, which are closely watched by investors as a gauge of long-term funding conditions and risk sentiment in the region.

The latest figures, updated on 13 May 2026, indicate a steady month‑on‑month increase in export activity, suggesting resilience in Israel’s external trade despite an uncertain global backdrop. While the uptick is incremental, the continued growth from March to April underscores ongoing demand for Israeli goods and services in international markets.

Investors and policymakers will be watching upcoming data closely to see whether this upward trend in exports consolidates in the coming months and how it feeds through to overall economic performance and trade balance dynamics.

The figures indicate that Israel’s external position weakened month-on-month, suggesting that imports grew faster than exports or that export performance softened relative to import demand. While the data do not specify sectoral drivers, the widening deficit in April underscores ongoing pressures on the country’s trade account heading into the second quarter of 2026.

Market participants and policymakers will be watching upcoming releases closely to assess whether April’s larger deficit signals a temporary fluctuation or the start of a more persistent trend in Israel’s trade dynamics.

The data, updated on 13 May 2026, indicate that investors are demanding slightly higher compensation to hold Italian medium-term debt compared with the prior auction. While the increase is small, the move suggests a marginal shift in market sentiment or expectations around future interest rates, inflation or Italy’s fiscal outlook.

The 7-year tenor is a key part of Italy’s sovereign yield curve, closely watched by investors as a barometer of medium-term risk and borrowing conditions for the eurozone’s third-largest economy.

The uptick in the 3-year yield suggests slightly higher return expectations from investors for short-term Italian government debt. While the move is limited in scale, it may reflect shifting market views on interest rate prospects, inflation dynamics, or risk appetite within the euro-area sovereign bond space.

The result will be closely watched by market participants as an indicator of how investors are currently pricing Italy’s short- to medium-term funding conditions, and whether this trend of gently rising yields will persist in upcoming auctions.

Among countries with available data, growth slowed in Germany (0.3% vs 0.4% in the previous quarter), France (1.1% vs 1.3%), Italy (0.7% vs 0.9%), the Netherlands (1.2% vs 1.8%), Belgium (0.8% vs 0.9%), Cyprus (3.0% vs 4.3%), Lithuania (2.5% vs 3.3%) and Austria (0.6% vs 0.7%), while Ireland’s GDP contracted (-6.3% vs +3.0%).

By contrast, growth picked up in Spain (2.7% vs 2.6%), Estonia (1.3% vs 0.8%), Portugal (2.3% vs 1.9%), Slovakia (0.9% vs 0.8%) and Finland (1.3% vs 0.1%), and remained unchanged in Bulgaria at 2.9%.

Among the Eurozone’s major economies, France’s output was flat, whereas the Netherlands and Italy posted modest gains of 0.1% and 0.2%, respectively. Germany recorded a slight pickup, with GDP expanding by 0.3%, and Spain outpaced its peers with a 0.6% increase. On an annual basis, GDP growth eased to 0.8% in the first quarter, down from 1.3% in the previous quarter.

The 0.25 percentage point reduction suggests policymakers see room for limited support to economic activity while maintaining relatively tight financial conditions. The move comes during the May policy review, with the updated rate data confirmed as of 13 May 2026.

Analysts and market participants will now watch closely to see how the lower policy rate filters through to borrowing costs, credit conditions, and overall growth dynamics in Zambia during the coming months.

The latest figures, updated on 13 May 2026, suggest that the euro area is sustaining job growth into 2026 despite a backdrop of economic uncertainty. The quarter-on-quarter increase in overall employment adds to the narrative of a gradually strengthening labor market across the currency union, potentially supporting household incomes and domestic demand in the months ahead.

Market participants and policymakers will likely watch upcoming releases to assess whether this momentum can be maintained, particularly as the euro zone navigates shifting monetary conditions and external headwinds. For now, the first-quarter data point to a solid start to the year for euro area employment.

On a month‑over‑month basis, March’s reading indicates that factories and industrial firms are producing slightly more than in February, but the unchanged 0.2% growth rate suggests that any recovery remains fragile and lacks momentum. In February 2026, industrial production also rose 0.2% compared with January, and March’s identical figure underscores how the sector has yet to break out of a narrow growth range.

With two consecutive months of modest gains, the data point to an industrial sector that is neither contracting nor powering ahead, leaving policymakers and investors watching closely for signs of whether this plateau will give way to stronger growth or renewed weakness in the months ahead.

Both the current and previous readings reflect year-over-year comparisons, measuring how employment changed relative to the same quarter a year earlier. While the headline figure remains positive, indicating ongoing job creation, the deceleration suggests that the region’s labor market is expanding at a more subdued pace than at the end of last year.

Investors and policymakers are likely to watch upcoming quarters closely to assess whether the softer employment growth in early 2026 marks a temporary pause or the beginning of a more sustained slowdown in euro area labor demand.