The U.S. federal funds rate peaked in 2023 at its highest level since the 2007-08 financial crisis, reaching 5.33 percent by December 2023. A significant shift in monetary policy occurred in the second half of 2024, with the Federal Reserve implementing regular rate cuts. By December 2024, the rate had declined to 4.48 percent. What is a central bank rate? The federal funds rate determines the cost of overnight borrowing between banks, allowing them to maintain necessary cash reserves and ensure financial system liquidity. When this rate rises, banks become more inclined to hold rather than lend money, reducing the money supply. While this decreased lending slows economic activity, it helps control inflation by limiting the circulation of money in the economy. Historic perspective The federal funds rate historically follows cyclical patterns, falling during recessions and gradually rising during economic recoveries. Some central banks, notably the European Central Bank, went beyond traditional monetary policy by implementing both aggressive asset purchases and negative interest rates.

According to a survey conducted between July 9 and July 11, 2022, 45 percent of Americans thought that Joe Biden was highly responsible for the current trend in the inflation rate. This is compared to 26 percent of Americans who said President Biden did not have a lot of responsibility for the current inflation rate.

Inflation in the U.S. Global events in 2022 had a significant impact on the United States. Inflation rose from 1.4 percent in January 2021 to 9.1 percent in June 2022. Significantly higher prices of basic goods led to increased concern over the state of the economy, and the ability to cover increasing monthly costs with the same income. Low interest rates, COVID-19-related supply constraints, corporate profiteering, and strong consumer spending had already put pressure on prices before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Despite rising wages on paper, the rapid growth of consumer prices resulted in an overall decline in real hourly earnings in the first half of 2022.

How much control does Joe Biden have over inflation? The bulk of economic performance and the inflation rate is determined by factors outside the President’s direct control, but U.S. presidents are often held accountable for it. Some of those factors are market forces, private business, productivity growth, the state of the global economy, and policies of the Federal Reserve. Although high-spending decisions such as the 2021 COVID-19 relief bill may have contributed to rising inflation rates, the bill has been seen by economists as a necessary intervention for preventing a recession at the time, as well as being of significant importance to low-income workers impacted by the pandemic.

The most important tool for curbing inflation and controlling the U.S. economy is the Federal Reserve. The Reserve has the ability to set, raise, and lower interest rates and determine the wider monetary policy for the United States – something out of the president’s control. In June 2022, the Reserve announced it would raise interest rates 0.75 percent for the second time that year – hoisting the rate to a target range of 2.25 to 2.5 percent – in an attempt to slow consumer demand and balance demand with supply. However, it can often take time before the impacts of interventions by the Federal Reserve are seen in the public’s day-to-day lives. Most economists expect this wave of inflation to pass in a year to 18 months.

The Volcker Shock was a period of historically high interest rates precipitated by Federal Reserve Chairperson Paul Volcker's decision to raise the central bank's key interest rate, the Fed funds effective rate, during the first three years of his term. Volcker was appointed chairperson of the Fed in August 1979 by President Jimmy Carter, as replacement for William Miller, who Carter had made his treasury secretary. Volcker was one of the most hawkish (supportive of tighter monetary policy to stem inflation) members of the Federal Reserve's committee, and quickly set about changing the course of monetary policy in the U.S. in order to quell inflation. The Volcker Shock is remembered for bringing an end to over a decade of high inflation in the United States, prompting a deep recession and high unemployment, and for spurring on debt defaults among developing countries in Latin America who had borrowed in U.S. dollars.

Monetary tightening and the recessions of the early '80s

Beginning in October 1979, Volcker's Fed tightened monetary policy by raising interest rates. This decision had the effect of depressing demand and slowing down the U.S. economy, as credit became more expensive for households and businesses. The Fed funds rate, the key overnight rate at which banks lend their excess reserves to each other, rose as high as 17.6 percent in early 1980. The rate was allowed to fall back below 10 percent following this first peak, however, due to worries that inflation was not falling fast enough, a second cycle of monetary tightening was embarked upon starting in August of 1980. The rate would reach its all-time peak in June of 1981, at 19.1 percent. The second recession sparked by these hikes was far deeper than the 1980 recession, with unemployment peaking at 10.8 percent in December 1980, the highest level since The Great Depression. This recession would drive inflation to a low point during Volcker's terms of 2.5 percent in August 1983.

The legacy of the Volcker Shock

By the end of Volcker's terms as Fed Chair, inflation was at a manageable rate of around four percent, while unemployment had fallen under six percent, as the economy grew and business confidence returned. While supporters of Volcker's actions point to these numbers as proof of the efficacy of his actions, critics have claimed that there were less harmful ways that inflation could have been brought under control. The recessions of the early 1980s are cited as accelerating deindustrialization in the U.S., as manufacturing jobs lost in 'rust belt' states such as Michigan, Ohio, and Pennsylvania never returned during the years of recovery. The Volcker Shock was also a driving factor behind the Latin American debt crises of the 1980s, as governments in the region defaulted on debts which they had incurred in U.S. dollars. Debates about the validity of using interest rate hikes to get inflation under control have recently re-emerged due to the inflationary pressures facing the U.S. following the Coronavirus pandemic and the Federal Reserve's subsequent decision to embark on a course of monetary tightening.

The Federal Reserve's balance sheet has undergone significant changes since 2007, reflecting its response to major economic crises. From a modest *** trillion U.S. dollars at the end of 2007, it ballooned to approximately **** trillion U.S. dollars by June 2025. This dramatic expansion, particularly during the 2008 financial crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic - both of which resulted in negative annual GDP growth in the U.S. - showcases the Fed's crucial role in stabilizing the economy through expansionary monetary policies. Impact on inflation and interest rates The Fed's expansionary measures, while aimed at stimulating economic growth, have had notable effects on inflation and interest rates. Following the quantitative easing in 2020, inflation in the United States reached ***** percent in 2022, the highest since 1991. However, by *************, inflation had declined to *** percent. Concurrently, the Federal Reserve implemented a series of interest rate hikes, with the rate peaking at **** percent in ***********, before the first rate cut since ************** occurred in **************. Financial implications for the Federal Reserve The expansion of the Fed's balance sheet and subsequent interest rate hikes have had significant financial implications. In 2023, the Fed reported a negative net income of ***** billion U.S. dollars, a stark contrast to the ***** billion U.S. dollars profit in 2022. This unprecedented shift was primarily due to rapidly rising interest rates, which caused the Fed's interest expenses to soar to over *** billion U.S. dollars in 2023. Despite this, the Fed's net interest income on securities acquired through open market operations reached a record high of ****** billion U.S. dollars in the same year.

Iran’s inflation rate rose sharply to 34.79 percent in 2019 and was projected to rise another 14 percentage points before slowly starting to decline. Given the recent sanctions by the United States regarding the nuclear deal, this number has both political and economic implications. Political implications President Hassan Rouhani won the 2017 election based on economic promises, many stemming from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), commonly known as the Iran Nuclear Deal. Lifting these sanctions opened the Iranian economy to many opportunities, including the chance to benefit from increased oil exports. The JCPOA was an integral part of the Rouhani campaign, so any economic hardship that is linked to the deal will likely be blamed on the president. Economic implications High inflation leads to high interest rates, which leads to less borrowing. Less borrowing means less investment, which slows economic growth. This slower growth often leads to higher inflation, which is what economists call an inflationary spiral. As such, Iran will have difficulty achieving substantial GDP growth until inflation returns to manageable rates.

In January 1995, US President Bill Clinton organized a bailout for Mexico that imposed penalty interest rates and induced the Mexican government to reduce its debt, ending the debt crisis. Can the Troika (European Commission, European Central Bank, and International Monetary Fund) organize similar bailouts for the troubled countries in the eurozone? Our analysis suggests that debt levels are so high that bailouts with penalty interest rates could induce the eurozone governments to default rather than reduce their debt. A resumption of economic growth is one of the few ways that the eurozone crises can end.

The United States recorded a Government Debt to GDP of 124.30 percent of the country's Gross Domestic Product in 2024. This dataset provides - United States Government Debt To GDP - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

Car loan interest rates in the United States decreased since mid-2024. Thus, the period of rapidly rising interest rates, when they increased from 3.85 percent in December 2021 to 7.91 percent in February 2024, has come to an end. The Federal Reserve interest rate is one of the main causes of the interest rates of loans rising or falling. If inflation stays under control, the Federal Reserve will start cutting the interest rates, which would have the effect of the cost of car loans falling too. How many cars have financing in the United States? Car financing exists because not everyone who wants or needs a car can purchase it outright. A financial institution will then lend the money to the customer for purchasing the car, which must then be repaid with interest. Most new vehicles in the United States in 2024 were purchased using car loans. It is not as common to use car loans for purchasing used vehicles as for new ones, although over a third of used vehicles were purchased using loans. The car industry in the United States The car financing business is huge in the United States, due to the high sales of both new and used vehicles in the country. A lot of the United States is very car-centric, which means that, outside large cities, it can often be difficult to do their daily commutes through other transportation methods. In fact, only a small percentage of U.S. workers used public transport to go to work. That is one of the factors that has helped establish the importance of the automotive sector in North America. Nevertheless, there are still countries in Asia-Pacific, Africa, the Middle East, and Europe with higher car-ownership rates than the United States.

In 2018, the average inflation rate in Egypt amounted to about 20.85 percent, a slight decrease compared to the previous year, when it peaked at 23.53 percent.

Political unrest

Egypt has been shaken by political unrest and turmoil for years now, and these events affect the economy as well. On January 25, 2011, Egyptians started protesting police brutality under then-president Hosni Mubarak, demanding an end to his reign. The protests were met with violence by armed forces, resulting in more unrest and looting. In the end, hundreds of Egyptians had lost their lives and over 6,000 were injured. After Mubarak’s subsequent resignation and the Muslim Brotherhood taking power in the country, Mohamed Morsi was elected President in 2012. He also was overthrown a year later after protests and was imprisoned. The current President, Abdel Fattah es-Sisi, was involved in overthrowing Morsi and took office in June 2014. Sisi introduced a number of economic reforms, but they did not succeed in stabilizing Egypt’s economy.

Economic unrest

2017 saw the Egyptian inflation rate skyrocket from 10.2 percent in 2016 to more than double that at 23.5 percent. Ever since, inflation has recovered only slowly, although projections today see it levelling off below ten percent in the future. Around the same year, Egypt’s GDP dropped to below 240 billion U.S. dollars, a historical low. Unemployment, another key indicator, has steadily been between 12 to 13 percent - one reason for this is Egypt’s reliance on agriculture, which does not factor into the unemployment rate. National debt has also increased dramatically over the last few years. All in all, the times of economic unrest are not yet over.

Poland's presidential elections have seen fluctuating voter turnout over the years, with the 2025 election marking a record high. The second round of voting in 2025 saw an impressive 71.63 percent of eligible voters casting their ballots, surpassing all previous turnouts since 1990. This surge in civic participation reflects growing political engagement among Polish citizens and underscores the significance of the presidential role in the country's governance. Increased voter base and participation The 2025 election saw a larger pool of eligible voters compared to previous years, with 29.25 million citizens able to participate. This represents a significant increase from 27.44 million eligible voters in the first presidential election of 1990. The high turnout was particularly notable in cities, where participation was 3.80 percent higher than in rural areas. Remarkably, over 84 percent of Poles living abroad cast their votes, demonstrating a strong interest in the election's outcome among the Polish diaspora. Close race and electoral outcome The 2025 presidential election was a closely contested race, with Rafał Trzaskowski winning the first round with 31.36 percent of the vote. However, the second round saw a narrow victory for Karol Nawrocki, the candidate of the PiS party, who secured 50.89 percent of the votes against Trzaskowski's 49.11 percent. This tight margin highlights the polarized nature of Polish politics and the importance of high voter turnout in determining the outcome. The record participation rate of 71.63 percent in the second round demonstrates the heightened interest and stakes involved in this election.

A survey conducted in February 2025 found that the most important issue for ** percent of Americans was inflation and prices. A further ** percent of respondents were most concerned about jobs and the economy.

South Africa’s inflation has been quite stable for the past years, levelling off between 3.2 and 6.9 percent, and is in fact expected to stabilize at around 4.5 percent in the future. South Africa is a mixed economy, generating most of its GDP through the services sector, especially tourism. However, the country struggles with unemployment and poverty.

Inflation who?

The inflation rate of a country is an important key factor to determine the country’s economic strength. It is calculated using the price increase of a defined product basket, containing goods and services on which the average consumer spends money throughout the year. They include, for example, expenses for groceries, clothes, rent, utilities, but also recreational activities, and raw materials (e.g. gas, oil), as well as federal fees and taxes. Some of these goods are more volatile than others – food prices, for example, are considered less reliable. The European Central Bank aims to keep inflation at around two percent in the long run.

What happened in 2016?

In 2016, South Africa’s inflation rate peaked at over 6.3 percent, and gross domestic product, and thus economic growth , took a hit, a sure indicator that something was affecting the country’s economic scaffolding: Low growth due to weak demand and an uncertain political future caused a crisis; then-President Jacob Zuma’s alleged mismanagement and unstable reign steeped in controversy and criminal charges even caused the economy’s outlook to be downgraded by ratings agencies. Zuma was relieved of his office in 2018 – ever since, inflation, GDP, and economic growth seem to have stabilized.

The statistic shows the national debt of France from 2019 to 2022, with projections up until 2029. In 2022, the national debt of France amounted to around 3.19 trillion U.S. dollars. For comparison, the Greek debt amounted to approximately 392.27 billion euros that same year. French national debt and developments in taxationFrance currently has one of the highest national debt levels of any of the world’s nations. Debt in the European Union’s second-largest economy is currently at around 97 percent of GDP. The cost of interest on the country’s debt alone comes in at over 1,600 euros per second; every man, woman, and child in France, of which there are 65.3 million in total, takes a share of just under 28 thousand euros of the debt.On 6th May 2012, the incumbent French President was defeated by François Hollande, leader of the French Socialist Party. The new President vowed to develop and change the tax system of France, announcing wide-ranging economic policies in a bid to balance the nation’s budget and right what he considered to be social wrongs. He pledged and supported the separation of lending and investment banks, as well as proposing sweeping changes to the French tax system. The introduction of the measure of capping tax loopholes at a maximum of ten thousand euros per year and questioning the solidarity tax on wealth, the annual direct wealth tax on those with assets above 1.3 million, were also part of Hollande’s proposals. The President has also signaled his intention to implement an income tax rate of 75 percent on revenue earned above one million euros per year. He stated the allocation of the revenue from this tax would be used to develop the deprived suburbs and to balance the nation's budget by 2017. France is a country brimming with big business and millionaires. The nation is home to the most millionaires in Europe; 2.6 million in total.

According to InfluencerDB, Narendra Modi, current Prime Minister of India, was the most followed politician on Instagram worldwide with 42.9 million followers. Most-followed politicians on Instagram Instagram has become an increasingly important tool for promoting political interests around the world. In contrast to the maximum of 280 characters allowed in a tweet posted to Twitter, Instagram’s caption character limit is two thousand, enabling users to speak in more depth about issues they care about. Due to the platform’s significant reach across demographic groups and regions, the platform has enabled elected officials and activists alike to broadcast their political interests to a wider audience. With an audience reach of 73 million users, India is one of Instagram’s largest markets. As such, it comes as no surprise that Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi is the most followed leader on Instagram with more than 42 million followers.

Former U.S. President Barack Obama is the third-most followed political figure on Instagram with over 30.1 million followers, ahead of current U.S. President Donald Trump who has just 20.5 million. Congress has been slow to adopt to official Instagram usage – as of 2018, only 70 percent of the Senate and 50 percent of the House of Representatives had posted on official social media accounts . Currently, Twitter is the most popular social platform among members of the U.S. Congress with a near universal adoption in both the Senate and the House.

By 2034, the gross federal debt of the United States is projected to be about 54.39 trillion U.S. dollars. This would be an increase of around 21 trillion U.S. dollars from 2023, when the federal debt was around 33 trillion U.S. dollars.

The federal debt of the U.S.

The federal debt, also called the national debt or public debt, is the amount of debt held by the United States government. This debt may be to other countries, or to different departments within the government itself. The public debt of the United States has increased significantly over the past 30 years, as it was around 3.2 trillion U.S. dollars in 1990 and surpassed 30 trillion dollars for the first time in 2022. When broken down per capita, the national debt amounted to about 80,885 U.S. dollars of debt per person in the United States in 2021.

The problem of the federal debt

Over the past decade, the federal debt limit in the United States has increased significantly. The U.S. debt ceiling can only be changed by an act of Congress which is then signed by the president. The raising of the ceiling has become a recurring political issue in recent years, especially during times when the Presidency and chambers of Congress are controlled by different parties.

The debt ceiling is a tool that allows the Treasury to issue bonds without congressional approval, allowing for efficiency in the way that the government pays for programs and services. It is thought to be further valuable in that it keeps federal finances in check. However, when the two parties are unable to come to an agreement on raising the debt ceiling, the government comes to a shutdown because they can no longer fund themselves. The Republican Party in particular often positions itself against raising the federal debt ceiling, characterizing themselves as the party of fiscal conservativism. However, analyses have shown that both parties have contributed to the country's debt in almost equal measures.

In 2024, the Philippines’ inflation rate amounted to 3.21 percent. The Philippines are considered “newly industrialized”, but the economy relies on remittances from nationals overseas, and the services sector generates most of its GDP . Emerging and soon to develop?After switching from agriculture to services and manufacturing, the Philippines are now an emerging economy, i.e. the country has some characteristics of a developed nation but is not quite there yet. In order to transition into a developed nation, the Philippines must meet certain requirements, like being able to sustain their economic development, being very open to foreign investors, or maintaining a very high stability of the institutional framework (like law enforcement and the government). Only if these changes are irreversible can they be classified as a developed nation. The Philippines’ switch to servicesEver since the switch to services and manufacturing, employment in these areas has increased and the country is now among those with the highest employment in the tourism industry worldwide. This transition was not entirely voluntary but also due to decreasing government support, the liberalization of trade, and reform programs. Still, agriculture is important for the country: As of 2017, more than a quarter of Filipinos are still working in the agricultural sector, and urbanization has only increased very slightly over the last decade.