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To promote transparency and provide information, the Federal Planning Bureau regularly publishes the methods and results of its works. The publications are organised in different series, such as Outlooks, Working Papers and Planning Papers. Some reports can be consulted here, along with the Short Term Update newsletters that were published until 2015. You can search our publications by theme, publication type, author and year.
This report constitutes a contribution to the preparation of the new Stability Programme and the new National Reform Programme. It includes the main results of the preliminary version of the “2018-2023 Economic Outlook” to be published in June 2018.
Forecasts & Outlook - Economic outlook 2018-2023 - March 2018 (fr), (nl),
Forecasts & Outlook - Economic outlook 2018 (fr), (nl),
This working paper provides an update of a study from 2007 in which the accuracy of the medium-term outlooks for the Belgian economy is assessed. The study is expanded with nine additional editions of the Economic Outlook covering a mixture of pre-crisis, crisis and post-crisis periods.
In the framework of the Act of 28 February 2014 on the National Accounts Institute the Scientific Committee for the economic budget has taken note of this study and has issued an opinion on it.
Working Papers - Working Paper 13-17 (en), (fr), (mix), (mix), (nl),
Forecasts & Outlook - Economic outlook 2017-2018 (Sept) (fr), (nl),
The Federal Planning Bureau is responsible, within the National Accounts Institute, for producing the macroeconomic forecasts that are used to set up the federal government budget. This working paper presents an update of the ex post assessment of the quality of these forecasts. Compared to the previous working paper devoted to this topic, the sample has been extended by six additional years and the number of evaluated variables has been increased, in particular with series at current prices. Moreover, this paper also examines to what extent the observed forecast errors are due to errors made on exogenous assumptions related to the international environment.
Working Papers - Working Paper 12-17 (en), (fr), (nl), (nl), (mix),
Forecasts & Outlook - OPHERMREG1701 (fr), (nl),
Forecasts & Outlook - Economic outlook 2017-2022 (fr), (mix), (nl),
Forecasts & Outlook - Economic outlook 2017 - June 2017 (fr), (nl),
This report is an input to the preparation of the new Stability Programme and of the new National Reform Programme (NRP). It presents the assumptions and the main results of the preliminary version of the “Economic Outlook 2017-2022”. The final version of the outlook will be published in June 2017.
Forecasts & Outlook - Economic outlook 2017-2022 - March 2017 (fr), (nl),
Forecasts & Outlook - Economic outlook 2017 (fr), (nl),
Belgian government investment, and specifically the part spent on infrastructure, is relatively low both in historical terms and compared to neighbouring countries. A simulation with the European Commission’s Quest III model suggests that increasing government investment permanently by 0.5% of GDP leads to a growth in GDP, private consumption and private investment. The impact of alternative financing mechanisms is compared. Finally, a budget neutral shift of investment in favour of infrastructure is found to yield significant benefits in terms of GDP and its main components already in the medium run.
Working Papers - Working Paper 01-17 (en), (en),
Reports - REP_11361 (mix),
Forecasts & Outlook - Economic outlook 2016-2017 (Sept) (fr), (nl),
Forecasts & Outlook - OPHERMREG1601 (fr), (nl),
Forecasts & Outlook - Economic outlook 2016-2021 (fr), (mix), (nl),
Forecasts & Outlook - Economic outlook 2016-2017 (June)
In the framework of the publication of its Economic Outlook for Belgium, the Federal Planning Bureau has estimated the potential growth and the output gap since 2003. This report presents a retrospective analysis of the properties of the short-term and long-term revisions of the potential growth and the output gap. A comparison with the results based on the EC estimations is also provided. This work falls within the legal tasks of the Institute of National Accounts in the field of forecast assessment.
Reports - OPREP201604 (fr),
This report is an input to the preparation of the new Stability Programme and of the new National Reform Programme. It presents the key assumptions and the main results of the preliminary version of the “Economic Outlook 2016-2021”. The final version of the outlook will be published in May 2016.
Forecasts & Outlook - Economic outlook 2016-2021 - March 2016 (fr), (nl),
Forecasts & Outlook - Economic outlook 2016 (fr), (nl),
Reports - REP_SHIFT_1501 (fr), (nl),
In accordance with the Law of 21 December 1994, the National Accounts Institute has transmitted the figures of the economic budget to the Minister for Economy. These macroeconomic forecasts are produced within the framework of the preparation of the federal budget for 2016. These forecasts do not take into account the government measures announced in July in the context of the preparation of the federal budget and the tax shift. This also holds for the VAT rate hike on electricity for domestic use from September onwards as this measure is part of a global agreement, the modalities of which were not available in time for integration into these forecasts.
Forecasts & Outlook - Economic outlook 2015-2016 (Sept)
Forecasts & Outlook - OPHERMREG1501 (fr), (nl),
The uncertainty surrounding the estimates of potential output has risen in the euro area countries since the outbreak of the financial crisis. Moreover, potential growth in the euro area has fallen since 2009. In this working paper we examine both phenomena for Belgium based on potential GDP estimates produced by the Federal Planning Bureau. We also analyse the evolution of the three main underlying determinants of potential growth, namely the contribution of labour, capital and total factor productivity.
Working Papers - Working Paper 04-15 (en),
Short Term Update (STU) is the quarterly newsletter of the Belgian Federal Planning Bureau. It contains the main conclusions from the publications of the FPB, as well as information on new publications, together with an analysis of the most recent economic indicators.
Closed series - Short Term Update 02-15 (en),
Forecasts & Outlook - Economic outlook 2015-2016 (June)