Here you can find background information on the TARGET balances.

Real interest rates are interest rates that have been adjusted for developments in purchasing power. They are broadly calculated as the difference between the nominal interest rate and the inflation rate (in the case of low interest rates and relatively stable prices).

Central banks base their monetary policy on balance sheet data from banks, insurance companies, and other financial institutions, as well as from households, businesses, and parts of the government. These reports provide important information about behavior and developments in the respective sectors.

Both Germany and Europe as a whole should be more confident in how they present themselves to the rest of the world. We mustn’t sell ourselves short, Mr Nagel said. In an interview with Capital and Stern, the Bundesbank President discussed growth forces in Germany and an increased statutory retirement age, as well as the urgent need for investment and reducing bureaucracy.