ArmInfo.The Central Bank of Armenia further reduced the refinancing rate - this time by 0.25 percentage points - from 9.75% to 9.5%. This is the fourth decrease this year, after two years of increase with reaching a historical maximum of 10.75% at the end of 2022 and maintaining this level until June 13 of this year, when the first decrease of 0.25 percentage points took place. , then on August 1 there was a second decline by the same amount, and on September 12 the decline was more noticeable - by 0.5 percentage points.
The Lombard repo facility rate at 11 %. The Deposit facility rate at 8 %.
According to statistical data, in September 2023. compared to September 2022, inflation was recorded at 0.1%, against inflation of 9.9% in September 2022. compared to September 2021 And the basic indicator calculated by the Central Bank turned out to be deflationary at the level of 0.1% in September 2023. compared to September 2022 (against inflation rate of 10.5% per annum in September 2022).
The CBA raised the refinancing rate to 10.75% on December 13, 2022, which proved a record after the 10.5% of 2015. The CBA raised the refinancing rate last year: in February, from 7.75% to 8%, in March, up to 9.25%, in August, up to 9.5%, in September, up 10.5%, in November, from 10% to 10.5%. From 2021 to December 13, 2022, the CBA raised the refinancing rate 12 times - from 5.25% up to 10.75%. in previous years, the historical maximum of the refinancing rate was recorded on February 10, 2015 - from 9.5% up to 10.5%.
This February, the official annual inflation on Armenia's consumer market was 8.1% against 6.5% in February 2022. No data on the CBA-calculated annual core inflation in February 2023 are yet available (as against 6.4% last February). This January, the core annual inflation was 9.1% as against 6.6% last January.
According to the CBA forecast revised late last December, inflation was to go down to 3.9% this year (against the actual 8.3% in 2022), to remain within 4% in 2024 and 2025. On the other hand, the CBA has revised its GDP forecast downward - to 4.6% as against the actual 12.6%in 2022, with a deceleration down to 4.2% in 2025.
In 2021, the CBA raised the refinancing rate six times: in February (by 0.25 percentage point, up to 5.5%), in May (by 0.5 percentage point, up to 6%), in June (by 0.5 percentage point, up to 6.5%), in August (by 0.5 percentage point, up to 7%), in September (by 0.25 percentage point, up to 7.25%), and in December (by 0.5 percentage point, up to 7.75%). During the same periods, the Lombard repo facility rates were raised from 6.75% up to 9.25% in December, with the Deposit facility rates raised from 3.75% up to 6.25%.
In 2020, the CBA revised the refinancing rate downward four times, and upward one time. Specifically, after reducing the refinancing rate from 5.5% down to 4.25% (March, April, June, September), the CBA raised it up to 5.25% in December. The Lombard repo and Deposit facility rates were changed to 6.75% and 3.75% in December 2020.
