The G20 finance ministers and central bank governors are set to meet in Gandhinagar, India, from 17 to 18 July. Bundesbank President Joachim Nagel will attend the two-day meeting, which will focus on issues including the current situation in the global economy, sustainability in the financial system and the regulation of crypto-assets.

Households’ financial assets grew by €161 billion to €7,618 billion in the fourth quarter of 2021. Taking all transactions and valuation effects into account, growth was thus significantly higher than in the (weak) third quarter.

“The impact of Russia’s attack on Ukraine is likely to place a noticeable strain on economic activity in Germany from March,” the Bundesbank writes in its Monthly Report. Energy commodity prices have surged which will probably put a damper on household consumption and the production of energy-intensive industries. Together with the looming disruptions to foreign trade and supply chains and the heightened uncertainty, the consequences of the war are likely to slow the economic recovery originally expected by a significant degree.