KOF Economic Barometer

Categories: Econ, Metrics

The KOF Economic Barometer comes from the KOF Swiss Economic Institute...and from the best decade: the 1970s (okay, we like the '90s, too…free love, man).

The KOF Economic Barometer is a barometer for anyone who cares about the Swiss economy in the short-run...just waiting for the other shoe to drop. It tells you if the economy is going to go up, with GDP increasing, or if it’s going to go down, compared to this time last year. Besides GDP, the KOF Economic Barometer also tracks the banking and construction industries, using lots of indicators and Swiss government data.

Even though it’s true that the KOF Economic Barometer has been around since the 70s, it’s been updated many times since then, so be mindful if you’re ever comparing KOF Economic Barometer data to itself among different years. Just like stock markets, the KOF Economic Barometer is expressed in points, either falling or rising.

Is it getting hot in here, or is it just us?

Find other enlightening terms in Shmoop Finance Genius Bar(f)