Sweden's economy is weakening from a strong position
Rate hikes and high inflation are putting a damper on the Swedish economy, and unemployment will rise. A stabilisation is expected during 2024, but the recovery will be slow as the economy gradually adjusts to higher interest rates.
Swedish home prices are falling rapidly as households adjust to surging mortgage rates. The situation is not as serious as in the 1990s, but there is risk of a sharp price correction.
Overheating in the US, the tight COVID stance and real estate sector slowdown in China, the energy market crisis in Europe and geopolitical risks are all denting growth prospects. At the same time, inflationary pressures are strong and will continue to be central banks’ main headache in the coming months.
How are Norwegian households affected by rising interest rates?
Strong price growth and higher interest rates will mean tighter finances for many Norwegian households. Below, we illustrate the consequences this will have on three families with the same income but different debt-to-income ratios. Lower savings, use of accumulated assets and more people in work will mitigate the impact on overall consumer spending.
The economic outlook is more uncertain than it has been for a long time. High price growth and rising interest rates will make these tough times for Norwegian households. The impact on consumer spending will be mitigated by lower savings and more people in paid work.
The Danish labour market has powered ahead in recent years. Job growth has been high and unemployment is approaching the lowest level since the early 1970s. But companies have had big recruitment problems and wage growth has been higher than abroad.
After a period of high growth, rising home prices and record-high employment, cooler winds are now blowing over the Danish economy. Households feel the impact of falling purchasing power and businesses are hurting from the slowdown in the global economy.
Nordea Group Chief Economist: Risk of recession in the Euro area is real
Inflation has reached the highest level since the early 1980s, and central banks seem determined to fight it through aggressive monetary policy. This is also the case in the Nordic countries where housing markets face a sharp slowdown.
Competition for labour and high inflation are pushing up wages in Norway, while the war in Ukraine intensifies the inflationary pressure. With an economy under pressure and rising price and wage growth, Norges Bank will continue its quarterly rate hikes until end-2023.
Chief economist: Norway's housing market rally is over
In the past 20 years, housing prices have more than tripled in Norway. With zero interest rates during the pandemic, the policy rate and thus rates on housing loans bottomed out. We will not see this interest-rate effect again.
The tight labour market, record-high demand for workers and recent inflation spike suggest that wage growth will be higher going forward. We revise up our wage forecast, and the Riksbank faces new challenges.