Sweden: Staff Report for the 2014 Article IV Consultation
IMF Staff Country Reports, August 29, 2014
Source details
- Canonical URL
- Sweden: Staff Report for the 2014 Article IV Consultation
Other formats
Bibliographic details
- Published: August 29, 2014
- Series: IMF Staff Country Reports
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.5089/9781498300308.002
Executive summary
- Sweden’s economy has re-gained speed, following supportive macroeconomic policies and strong household demand.
- Employment has been rising, but the labor force expanded even more, resulting in higher unemployment mostly among vulnerable groups.
- Inflation remains very low, driven by external and domestic factors.
- Financial stability risks are an increasing concern, reflecting high and rising household debt, accelerating house prices, and Sweden’s very large banking system.
Key themes and findings
- Macroeconomic performance
- Re-acceleration of economic activity linked to supportive macroeconomic policies and strong household demand.
- Labor market
- Employment growth has been positive.
- Labor force expansion outpaced employment gains, producing higher unemployment concentrated among vulnerable groups.
- Prices and inflation
- Inflation remains very low.
- Low inflation is driven by both external and domestic factors.
- Financial stability
- Increasing concern over financial stability risks.
- Specific risk drivers cited: high and rising household debt, accelerating house prices, and the very large size of Sweden’s banking system.
Content in this bundle
- Current Account, External Assessment and the Equilibrium Real Exchange Rate